Northern Lights
by kctjohnson
Summary: Vampires, werewolves, Skinwalkers, and Slayers converge in Forks. This is the continuing story of a Slayer as she struggles to come to terms with her best friend, Bella's impending marriage to Edward, a being she's been trained to kill....
1. Preface

_**Northern Lights**_

_**By kctjohnson**_

PREFACE

Thirty-six dead in Los Angeles, twenty-two in Las Vegas, eleven in Denver, seven in Albuquerque, and thirteen in Phoenix. Those numbers would have been considered high death tolls in a single week if the police force in each of those cities had known of them. Most of the dead were vagrants and indigents whom no one apparently missed, and in large cities like these, murders were not uncommon. And it didn't help that those killed disappeared without a trace. Well, almost without a trace. In each case, the only thing remaining of the victims was their eyes. If those had been discovered by authorities, it would have been obvious that the murders were all connected.

The killings had been steadily increasing in the past two months in large cities on the western coast and the southwestern parts of the country. It had all started in the vicinity of Canyon Del Muerto, or Valley of the Dead, on the Navajo reservation. It had begun as 'mild' killings where victims were found petrified to death. But it had somehow escalated to gruesome mauling, and finally to possible human consumption – save the eyes.

No one spoke of these seemingly supernatural killings on the reservation, especially those who found the remnants. They all know _what_ did it, and it was best to not say anything lest it – or they – would come after those who dared to speak openly of them. Many Navajo communities were being terrorized as the killing area seemed to spread. It was not so much that _they_ were spreading their territories that bothered those who lived on the reservation. It was that their killing tactics were changing. _They_ had never consumed human flesh in the past. Something was changing, yet no one dared to investigate – not even the Navajo Nation Police; they were, after all, only human. Chasing _them_ would have been deadly. Arresting any was laughable.

"Ms. Blade, here are the reports you were looking for," a stocky Navajo police officer muttered expressionlessly from behind the counter. He handed a stack of papers to a slender, rather pretty woman who took them with a knowing smile. The officer nodded blankly, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

"Thank you, Officer Yazzie," replied the tall woman known as Ms. Blade. "You will not speak to anyone of this."

"No… I will not speak to anyone of this," the man said nodding. It was only after the woman had left the police station that life came back into them. Of course, he had no recollection of what had happened in the past half hour, nor of how the Skinwalker reports had mysteriously disappeared from the files in the back.

Two men awaited Ms. Blade by an old, unremarkable Ford Focus just outside of the station. One had sandy blond hair with tanned skin, while the other was a tall African-American with tight dreadlocks that extended half-way down his back. Ms. Blade had light auburn hair and was pale as white sheets. Under any other circumstance, three such characters would have attracted much attention on the reservation, but strangely, no one took notice of them. People walked past them as though they were invisible.

"I'm always impressed by your skills, Blade," the blond man chortled as he eyed the stack of papers in the woman's hands. She didn't respond but merely waved the two to get into the car.

"I'd been itching to hunt werewolves," the darker man said in a tone that was clearly held back from sounding too eager. "I was getting bored of vampires."

"Oh really, Jackson?" the blond man smirked as he raised a curious eyebrow. "And who was it that had gotten himself bitten by a Newborn and was out of commission for three days?"

"Watch it, Harrow. You're treading dangerous waters," growled Jackson as he started the engine.

"If you two can keep it down for ten minutes I might be able to figure out some kind of pattern in their movements," snapped Blade from the back seat as she studied the reports. "We're dealing with shape-shifters here. They're not just werewolves."

"We know, Blade," Jackson drawled as though mocking a repetitive teacher. "They can turn into _anything_. But more often than not, they're wolves."

Harrow scoffed and rolled his eyes upward. Both men felt the icy glare of Blade from behind them and resorted to complete silence throughout the rest of the trip back to Phoenix.


	2. Chapter 1

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 1 - Departure

It wasn't even my wedding. I didn't understand the nervous state I was in as I squirmed in my seat on the plane bound for Washington. My parents had done a stupendous job instilling preparedness. If I'd ever joined Girl Scouts, I'm sure I would have won some kind of award for being the most ridiculously prepared child in the whole state of Arizona. Still, life threw all sorts of curves. Serious curves. I pride myself in having been able to deal with the last unexpected batch of lemons that life had decided to throw at me.

The point is I don't get nervous much. The first time I ever felt butterflies in my stomach was during my father's funeral when I had to give a eulogy. I was thirteen years old. I think it was the fact that I knew there wasn't an actual body in the casket that made me sick to my stomach. The only thing I truly remember from that experience was waking up in the antechamber of the funeral parlor, after having apparently passed out. My best friend, Bella, was there by my side when I opened my eyes. Mom was too much a mess and was still outside being consoled by my aunt.

Bella had always been there for me, and she knew what it was like to lose a loved one since she'd just lost her Gran Marie the year before. Bells and I had been inseparable ever since we were children. Since my parents – at least while dad was still around - didn't like to have visitors around, I often stayed over at Bella's. Her mother had always been a bit odd, but she welcomed me as though I were Bella's long-lost sister… and we might as well have been. We understood each other like no other, and we completed each others' sentences and laughed at the same jokes. Thankfully, we had vastly different tastes in boys. Frankly, I never understood hers, but that was fine.

Just to distract myself, I checked and rechecked the packing list in my maroon notebook, even though at this point, if I'd forgotten to pack something, there was nothing I could do about it. I stuffed my notebook into my bag then began drumming my fingers on the arm of my seat, stopping only after I noticed my neighbor's annoyed expression targeted at my semi-innocent hand.

Why was I edgy? I tried to determine the source of my uneasiness, but there were too many.

Firstly, the fact that Bella was getting married at eighteen did not sit well with me. She'd always said how she didn't want to get married, at least not at eighteen. Huh.

Secondly, _who_ exactly was this Edward? Bella had written a few times, describing the man of her dreams but I couldn't help but feel she was leaving some things out. She had mentioned a prom and a graduation party. Bella hates parties and dances! And this Edward probably _dragged_ her to these events! Kicking and screaming, no doubt.

Thirdly, why do I feel that very same sensation I get when I'm preparing to go on a hunt? That had to be the single most disturbing thing about all this. Hunting usually never made me nervous – not like the first time at least. But to have that same sensation when I'm about to attend my best friend's wedding is quite another ball of wax.

My 'instincts' must be _off_. That's the most logical explanation, especially since I'm known to be the least accurate when it comes to identifying preys….

"Kayla, you're possibly the worst hunter in history," Nash had told me before I boarded the plane. "You're awesome at taking down the prey, but you can't identify one if it danced naked in front of you."

"Gee, Nash. Your overwhelming confidence in me just tickles me silly," I had retorted with as much sarcasm as I could muster. I couldn't argue with him though. I _was_ the worst hunter in the group. Then again, I was relatively new at all this so I'd used that as an excuse, but it was frustrating nonetheless.

Twenty-two year old Nash had been my mentor since the beginning and he'd worked pretty hard in trying to sharpen my hunting senses. I just wasn't accustomed to being the slowest to learn in a group, but that's exactly what had been happening. I couldn't blame Nash for flat out denying me leave for the wedding at first – I just wasn't ready yet. I had explained how Bella had always been there for me and that I would come across as the most ungrateful friend if I didn't show up and help her with the final planning, but that was brushed off as a petty excuse to abandon my training for a few months. I finally had to go over Nash's head and talk to Jessie, who led the group. I told her that attending the wedding would arouse less suspicion because Bella would have tried to track me down.

I'd lied of course. Bella and I had not been able to communicate with each other all that much in the last three years since she left Arizona. She'd only started writing more frequently - mostly about her Edward - in the last six months. She'd mentioned a Jacob Black several times too. He was supposedly her _best_ friend in Washington, but with whom she had a 'complicated' relationship. I wondered what that meant and I was curious. She wrote about Jacob with both anger and endearment that it was hard to determine how she really felt about him. It was like reading about a tennis match, except the ball was replaced by her feelings about Jacob as a friend.

I wished I had kept in touch with her more often. Ever since I was inducted into the group, I'd been so busy training seven days a week, and trying to keep the truth from my usually sharp-witted mother was exhausting. I needed a break, and Bella's invitation could not have come at a better time.

In the end, Jessie had given me the okay to go to Washington, much to Nash's chagrin. He'd insisted on coming with me, but I vehemently vetoed it. I didn't want Bella to think that he was my boyfriend, especially since I'd never mentioned anything about him to her. The fewer questions asked the better. That's what I'd told Nash to finally convince him to stay in Phoenix.

"What would you like to drink?" said a woman's voice, snapping me back to the present. The flight attendant eyed me impatiently as she handed my neighbor a Diet Coke. Apparently I was supposed to have had a ready answer as soon as she said 'drink'.

"Um… iced tea, please?" I asked tentatively.

The woman looked at me as though I had ordered a pitcher of buffalo dung. "We don't have _iced_ tea," she said shortly. This was annoying. I was not accustomed to being spoken to like an idiot.

"But you have _hot_ tea?" I asked sardonically.

"Yes." Her patronizing tone annoyed me further.

"Well then, can I have some _hot_ tea and a glass of ice?" I said, challenging her haughty attitude. She hmph-ed and filled a plastic cup with ice before pouring hot water into a Styrofoam one. She placed my drink needs on my tray table before shoving her cart over to the next aisle. _Someone_ got on board on the wrong side of the plane.

I dipped me tea bag into the Styrofoam cup and watched the brown color ooze out and swirl around the bag. My mind had wandered back to the unsettling butterflies in my stomach and to my best friend's sudden decision to end her youth so quickly. _Marriage_?

I just couldn't see Bella getting married. At all. And I couldn't blame her. I'd met her parents, Charlie and Renée, on different occasions. They were both wonderful people, but it was a wonder that they had been married at all, given how different they were. They could not have left a positive impression of matrimony upon Bella, yet here I was – flying north to help organize and attend her wedding. A part of me somehow thought this might be one big joke that Bella was pulling, in order to get me up to Washington. She'd invited me a few times since she moved, but I never had the time. Actually, I never made the time.

I'd been to Forks once - a long, long time ago when Bella still lived with Renée, but for someone who grew up under the sun, Forks was just too gloomy and too cold a place to spend more than two days in. What if they really _were_ planning on getting married? I was going to have to size up this Edward Cullen. I knew next to nothing about him apart from the fact that Bella was willing to sacrifice her youth, and possibly her sanity, for him. I was convinced that he'd hoodwinked her. Maybe there was still time to save her….


	3. Chapter 2

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 2 - Reunion

I stood on the curb at Sea-Tac and gaped at a red, ancient Chevy sputter and roll to a halt in front of me. I stifled a laugh because this beat-up old truck was something I had imagined Bella to be driving in a small town. How it got this far from Forks had to be a miracle.

Bella peered from the driver-side seat and grinned. "Hey Kayls. I see you found your way to Washington alright," she said, pointing to the truck bed with her thumb. I shook my head and smiled, hurtling my purple duffle bag to the back and jumping into the truck.

We gave each other our usual so-what's-up look as though there had never been much distance or time between us, but soon surrendered to the need to hug one another tightly. Bella had lost a bit of weight, but she at least still looked healthy, and more importantly, happy.

"You look radiant! That much in love, eh?" I jested. I didn't want her to know I had my doubts about her Edward, so I waggled my eyebrows teasingly.

"Well, lately I've been feeling good about it all," said Bella as she pulled away from the curb. "I had my doubts in the beginning-"

As well you should, I thought.

"- but then I realized that this is what I wanted, more than anything else. After carefully considering everything, this is what I chose." Bella sounded more sure than I had ever heard her in all our time together. "So, how's Annie?"

"Mom? She's doing okay," I said, noting how quickly Bella had veered away from the subject of her marriage. "We went to visit my grandparents in Chinle – up on the rez - but you know how they never really approved of mom. Even less so since dad disapp-… um... I mean, died. Our welcoming party consisted of Morton, my cousin."

"The one who lives out in Shiprock? Just him?"

"Yep," I smiled, glad that Bella let my slip about dad's manner of death go by the way side. "Just as well. I could never get used to the whole thing where everyone does everything together and they're all poking their noses into everyone's businesses. Morton's the only relative I can stand anyway. He's funny and he doesn't care what I do."

"I know what you mean," Bella agreed. "Sometimes you just want to have your own space without having people poke around and dig up your secrets, right?"

"Exactly! Wait… what are you hiding?"

"Nothing. I was just agreeing with you," Bella laughed.

I shrugged and stared out the window as the green of the trees blurred by. We chugged along at 50 miles an hour and I calculated our drive to be almost four hours long. There had to be a reason why she wanted to pick me up in Sea-Tac rather than have me fly to the smaller airport in Port Angeles.

"So tell me," I began, knowing that we could easily fill in four hours of chat time. "What's Edward like?"

Bella raised an eyebrow and glanced at me, a smile hidden somewhere in her expression. "I already told you about him in my letters."

"Yeah, yeah. You guys met in school and he's got two brothers and two sisters. He's tall, incredibly handsome, incredibly charming, incredibly intelligent, and incredibly romantic. He's incredible," I sighed as I twirled my long, blackish-brown hair. "But what do you two like to do for fun? What kinds of music does he listen to? What are his ambitions?"

"You're beginning to sound like my mother," laughed Bella.

"_Renée_?"

"Well, no, not _my_ mother, but a _normal_ mother in general."

I blinked as I waited for Bella to answer my questions. Her eyes shifted a lot but she kept quiet. We were used to having long, comfortable silences between us, but this was not one of them. I knew Bella could tell that I was not letting this one slip by.

"We like talking, taking walks - just spending time together, I suppose," Bella finally said, keeping her eyes on the road and squinting to look far ahead for any potential road obstacles. We weren't going fast enough for her to be _that_ careful.

"And?"

"Let's see… he listens to classical music, jazz… all sorts…," Bella's voice trailed off. I waited some more. "Anyway," she continued. "You'll meet him tomorrow. His sister Alice is coming by to help with the seating chart and fitting for my dress; and he'll be there to address the invitations."

"Invitations? _Seating_ chart?" I asked, stunned. I had assumed the wedding was going to be just for close friends and family, especially since the wedding was going to be in less than two months. More crucially, though, Bella hated parties and big events – at least the Bella _I_ knew. "Doing things last minute, are we?" I teased. "Exactly how many people are being invited?"

"Oh… I don't know," Bella sighed. Ah, she didn't sound too ecstatic after all. "Alice tends to go over the top. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire population of Forks and LaPush showed up."

I shook my head and sighed. Bella was going to be a passenger in her own matrimonial boat and Alice was at the helm. "La Push?" I asked, then immediately remembered that her _new best friend_ was a Quileute. "Oh right. Your Indian friend."

"That's not politically correct to say, is it?" Bella laughed lightly.

"Not if you're a _bilagaana_, but I'm Navajo so it's okay for me to say it," I grinned as I rested my elbow against the truck window.

"You're half-bilagaana and half-Navajo," Bella reminded me with a teasing smile.

"Eh," I retorted. "Just a minor technicality. The only thing that's white about me is my eyes, but that's about it."

"That's true. Annie has the most beautiful green eyes. You're lucky you inherited them."

I shrugged, but I had to agree. My mother's olive green eyes were stunning. They were what caught my father's attention all those years ago when my mother did her internship at a clinic in Chinle. Dad had hurt his hand while trying to break a wild mustang and had to make a quick trip into town to stitch up his cut. It was mom who tended to him, and apparently, it was love at first sight. Personally, I don't believe in love at first sight. You can't really love a person without _really_ knowing them, and knowing them usually involved moving in together and displaying much of the skeletons stashed away in one's own closet. Too much work.

"You haven't changed much in the last three years, Kayls," Bella noted, taking quick glances at my all-too-casual outfit. I loved my torn jeans and I loved my sea-foam green, faded "Make Love, Not War - John Lennon" shirt. At least it went with my eyes. That was the extent of my fashion-coordinating skills.

"I suppose I haven't. Still rough around the edges and in need of charm," I snorted jokingly.

Bella raised an inquisitive eyebrow at me. "What are you talking about? You've always been able to charm the boys in school," I rolled my eyes at Bella's amusing, and completely untrue, observation. "You're pretty, smart and athletic. I'd always envied your milk-chocolate complexion combined with your amazing green eyes."

I blushed. Bella had never complimented me on my looks before. "But I have no fashion sense," I said, hoping to feel less embarrassed.

"Like I'm qualified to pass that kind of judgment?"

I did a quick scan of Bella's haphazard ponytail, baggy, red sweater, faded jeans, and muddy sneakers. "I guess not," I laughed.

Bella's hand swiftly swung to the side to smack my arm, but instead, she hit the backing of the seat pretty hard when I shifted away, missing me completely.

"Wow, Bells. Your hand-eye coordination hasn't changed either," I gaped as Bella waved her hand furiously to shake the mild pain off. We both burst into laughter, and we were both glad that the three years apart did not affect our rhythm and friendship all that much.

It took a good five minutes for our laughter to die down, or so it felt. I decided to enjoy the scenery of luscious greens – nothing like the desert landscape that I'd grown up in. It was different, and in a way, nice… despite the less then cheerful skies.

"Does the sun ever shine in Forks?" I asked with sincere curiosity and concern. "The last time I was here, it was cloudy every day."

"We don't get as much sun as Phoenix does," Bella quipped with an apologetic smile.

"_No_ place gets as much sun as Phoenix does." The very idea of possibly spending the next sixty days in fifty hues of grey was depressing. My hopeless sigh did not escape Bella.

"I'm sorry to drag you out here, Kayls. It's just that the thought of having to plan this wedding over the course of two months was-"

"Terrifying? Horrifying?"

"… yeah…"

"Well," I gave my best friend a wistful smile, "this was more Alice's idea anyway, right? Let her do the work," I said only half-jokingly.

Bella's eyes widened as she gave me a startled glance, probably wondering how I'd already figured Alice out. It was all too obvious. From the letters I received from Bella where she'd described the personalities of each member of her future in-laws, it seemed most likely that Alice Cullen was at the head of the events committee, and possibly head of some form of cheerleading squad.

"Kayla?"

I turned to Bella, noting her suddenly sheepish expression. "Yeah?"

"I kinda wanted to talk to you about something. You know, about Edward," she said, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Shoot." I had guessed that Bella wanted to tell me something important – something she'd rather not discuss in front of Charlie, and hence the long drive.

"Well I- I don't want you to judge him too quickly," Bella said, still not meeting my gaze. I remained silent and waited for her explanation. "Edward… sometimes comes off as aloof, stand-offish – to those who meet him for the first time."

"Okay…," I drawled with uncertainty in my voice.

"But he's really not! I mean, he's very observant and… often likes to just… study people before interacting with them, but he's very warm… hearted…" Bella seemed to struggle to find the right words and was turning a deeper shade of red with each syllable she uttered. "He's everything I ever wanted in a… boy… and, well… he could seem _cold_, but-"

"I get it, Bells. Don't worry," I interjected. As amused as I was to watch Bella try to defend her fiancé even before I'd met him, I had to stop her before she turned purple. "I won't judge him… _right away_, that is."

"Oh, thanks," Bella muttered with a hint of sarcasm and relief. She knew I meant well though, and she knew I cared as much about her as any sister would, had we been siblings.

I'd already read about how dazzling Edward was in her letters to the point of where I thought Bella was trying to form an impeccable impression of Edward on me ahead of time. The letters, however, did not stop me from wondering what he said or did to convince my anti-marriage friend to change her mind. Could anyone be _that_ perfect and wonderful?

"Besides, if Edward is truly as wonderful as you say he is, I'll know when I meet him," I said confidently. "I have a good instinct when it comes to people." This was actually true. I just had bad instincts when it came to the 'other kind of people'.

"Thanks." Bella seemed a little relieved, but not for long.

"So how does Charlie feel about your getting married? And Renée?" I asked.

"Well… that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about," Bella muttered uncomfortably.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to read her expression. Then… _Oh my God._

"They don't know you're getting married…." I said, half-horrified and half-amused. Bella shook her head. "For the love of- … what are you going to do? Tell them _on the day of_?"

"Well, no, not _exactly_," Bella answered guiltily. "Edward and I were thinking of inviting Renée and Phil up here, and then tell her and Charlie about it."

"When? A week or so before the wedding?" I crossed my arms over my chest and arched both my eyebrows. Bella glanced at me silently. "Oh my goodness! That _is_ what you were thinking of doing!"

"No! I _will_ tell them," Bella said defensively. "Just as soon as I'm ready."

I was tempted to quip that there was a better chance that Phoenix would freeze over before that happened, but I bit my tongue.

"And what if they say 'no'?" I asked instead.

Bella fell silent. I wasn't sure I needed to hear her answer. From what I gathered from Bella's letters, I imagined that they'd elope if denied marriage.

"They won't say 'no'," Bella finally said. "They might not agree at first, but in the end, I know they'll give us their blessings. So… _please_ don't talk about the wedding in front of Charlie, okay? I want it to come from me."

I shook my head in dismay. This was something I expected Renée to do – not Bella. What's Edward done to her?

"Fine," I sighed. It was beginning to look like all I ever did was deceive people. But this was for Bella. I laughed lightly, feeling a bit defeated. "I won't say a word."

"Thanks, Kayls. I owe you one."

"Oh, yes you do! A b_ig_ one!"

We both laughed and joked the rest of the way to Forks, recounting events in each other's lives that we'd missed out on. Bella was not one to talk too much, but perhaps it was her nerves about the impending marriage that made her chatter incessantly. She spoke of Charlie and her soon-to-be-in-laws, the Cullens. She spoke of Edward with frequent sighs injected every couple of words. Strangely, she didn't bring Jacob up. I had actually wanted to hear more about this new best friend of hers since she'd written often about him in her letters, but Bella now seemed so intent on not talking about him. Maybe they had a falling out. I couldn't help but feel some sort of relief sprinkled with a dash of smugness.

We'd arrived in Forks sooner than we'd expected. As the saying went, time flew. Bella pulled into a graveled path in front of her house, then the truck rolled right next to another parked vehicle.

I stared at it, my mouth hanging open as though to welcome a family of flies.

"What…," I choked out. "…on earth is _that_? It's not _yours_, is it?"

Bella rolled her eyes and let out a sigh that was saturated with both embarrassment and exasperation. She hopped out of the truck and headed for the truck bed to grab my duffle bag. I rushed out from my side and inadvertently slammed the door shut, still flabbergasted by the sight of the sleek, black Mercedes next to Bella's run-down excuse of a vehicle.

"Why the heck didn't you pick me up in _that_ one?" I groaned as I rushed to take a closer look at the luxurious sedan. I knew Bella would hate the attention if she drove this car around. It would have practically been a neon sign in the streets of Forks.

I slowly made my way around the car. My jaw dropped when I finally realized what it was. "Hold it… is… _geez, Bells_! Is this a Mercedes _Guardian_?! What ungodly being did you have to bribe to get this car?"

"Edward gave it to me," Bella muttered under her breath after a brief pause. Why she was complaining about this awesome piece of machinery, I could only imagine. "If I'd picked you up in that, we wouldn't have had our cozy chat on the way home."

"That's true," I agreed. "We might have ended up in some Emergency Room in Seattle instead."

"Funny, Kayls," Bella huffed, but she knew she couldn't deny it and resorted to laughing at herself.


	4. Chapter 3

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 3 – Of Lies and Monsters

There were no chirping birds or sunlight tickling my cheek to wake me up. There wasn't even a Charlie to boom "Wake up, girls!" like he did when we were kids because he had the graveyard shift last night and wasn't back yet. I was woken by a strange, scraping sound – like some wild animal was clawing against the wooden paneling in my room. I lay on my side, motionless, and opened my eyes in double slow-motion. Holding my breath, I listened intently and tried to determine where the scraping noise was coming from. My eyes shifted as I focused my auditory senses towards each wall, and each time, eliminating it as the location of the clawing. As the sound became louder and more distinct, I realized that it was coming from within me – in my head – and that was the first ominous sign I received since coming to Forks. I wasn't sure of what, but it was definitely a warning.

The smart thing to do was jump out of bed, pick up the phone, and call Nash straight away. But that also meant having him - and possibly Jessie, Angie, Linc, and who knows who else – come flying out to Forks just to "check things out". Or, maybe they'd send Nash alone. They all knew how atrocious my _senses_ were anyway. Anything I sensed could just as easily be a false alarm.

No, I wasn't going to make any calls. One Nash was equivalent to a hundred things to have to explain to Bella and Charlie. I just wasn't ready for that, and I don't know if I ever will be. I was simply going to have to be a little warier of my surroundings. That's all.

I turned in bed to face the ceiling, a dozen thoughts running through my mind all at once. I'd managed to set aside any worries or concerns about Bella or the cloudy days ahead. I'd already resigned to the fact that I was here to help Bella. Whether "helping" meant aiding Alice in running the show and sparing Bella the agony of exposing her to a major event preparation, or protecting Bella from a potentially disastrous union, that was yet to be seen.

My mind was bombarded by Nash and his frustration with me, about what Angie said on the day before my departure, and about my mother. There was nothing I could do about Nash except try to continue my training here in Forks… but where? That was another issue all together. Angie, who was usually stoic in her demeanor and never said a word unless it was absolutely necessary, had pulled me aside after practice. She'd wanted to tell me to keep my eyes open at all times and to not converse with strangers. What was I? Five? I'd promptly ignored it, but after the warning signal this morning, maybe I should have asked for more details….

Mom… I didn't know where to start about mom. I'd lied to her since the day I befriended Nash three years prior. Half the things I said or did was a lie. It made me feel guilty and horrible, but it had to be that way in order to keep her safe. She _had_ to believe I was a normal teenager with normal teenage problems, but nothing was further from the truth.

Nash and I had met at a community volleyball game and he immediately took an interest in my athletic ability. He had told me that I was special, and _that_ – coming from a rather good-looking young man who reminded me of a younger Johnny Depp – was hard to ignore, so I listened to his proposition. He wanted me to meet his group of friends for a bit of an athletic challenge. If I could score a single point against any one of them in the challenge, they would teach me how to improve and sharpen all of my skills. At first, I really didn't care about improving them. I was already confident about my athleticism.

Then I met Jessie and was immediately smitten by her grace, intelligence, and ability to remove any tenseness I might have felt at the time. She was not, by any means, 'beautiful' but she had a charm that captured people. She somehow could make you believe that you _had_ to listen to what she had to say, or you'd be losing out on something.

Jessie introduced me to Linc and Corky, a boy a few years my junior. Linc was dark, tall, and imposing, but he had a playful aura about him while Corky – sometimes referred to as the Mexican Jumping Bean by Linc - was all about being positive and playful, telling odd jokes, and flirting with 'older women'. There was something about all of them that I immediately felt a connection to, and at that moment, I _had_ to be part of their group. So I scored four points in the 'tryouts'.

According to mom, Nash was my math tutor and Jessie was his sister. We all were supposedly part of a newly-formed community volleyball team, all seven of us. It was a good cover-up in case I had to go home a little banged up, but it got a bit tricky when I had more severe injuries – those were the days when Jessie would call mom up and beg for permission to keep me for 'extended slumber parties'.

Mom never knew the truth, and the truth was that we hunted. Not bears, deer, mountain lions or even ducks. We hunted – and eliminated – monsters… unearthly creatures that existed to kill humans… werewolves and vampires. I didn't know that _that_ was the purpose of the group for about a week after induction. They'd eased me into the organization, feeding me information piecemeal in order not to lose me (possibly to an insane asylum if they'd been foolish enough just lay it on me all at once).

The guilt of lying to my mother as to what I was doing everyday and what I _was_ were eating me alive, and I had to keep telling myself that if she knew the horrific reality of monsters in this world, she would never be able to live her life _normally_. I could never tell my mother that I was a Slayer.

And now I was going to lie to Bella, Charlie, and everyone else who would dare ask me what I did in school or 'for fun'. My existence for the past two and a half years had been one big lie, but it was a lie that saved lives, and I had decided long ago that I would accept such an existence.

I headed downstairs where I could already smell the enticing aroma of sizzling bacon. Peering into the kitchen, I found Bella humming an unfamiliar yet pleasant tune.

"Morning!" I greeted her as I sauntered to the breakfast table. Bella whirled around with a look of shock.

"Good grief, don't sneak up on me like that!"

_Crap_. It was second nature to me now. I'd actually forgotten how to walk like a normal human being ever since I joined and trained with Jessie's group. I had to be more careful.

"You're just not paying attention," I chortled, hoping to sound casually amused. "Face it, Bells. You're not exactly the poster child for alertness."

Bella shot me a look of mock indignation. "Touché. Still-"

She sounded as though she wanted to add something else, but she left it that. I grabbed a small roll from the bread basket on the table and woofed it down. Charlie had made us spaghetti last night, but I just couldn't stomach everything on my plate. I supposed he wanted to demonstrate that he was a great single-dad, but I'd always known that it would be Bella doing the taking care of anyone. That was what it was like when she lived with Renée anyway.

"So," I said as I watched Bella slide the strips of bacon onto a large plate. "I guess Jacob isn't coming to the wedding then?"

"No, I told you in my last letter. He's visiting some relatives up north and won't be back for a long while," said Bella, her voice uncertain.

"He really likes you, doesn't he?" I mused as I reached for another roll.

"What do you mean?" Bella challenged me. She quickly turned away to place the pan on the stove, but it was enough to tell me that I'd hit something.

"Well, he's your _best_ friend, right?" I said, unable to stop myself from injecting some sarcasm in my voice.

"_One of_," Bella corrected me in a hurry. I gave her an appreciative grin.

"Well, why would he – as _one of_ your best friends – plan an extended vacation when he knew you were getting married? And from your letters, I'd say he had more than just friendship in mind-"

"Nothing gets past you, as always," sighed Bella. She returned to the table and took the seat opposite me.

It was ironic that she should say that. Sure, in the past I was always aware of my surroundings and I understood the goings-on around me. That had changed quite a bit when I began leading the life of a Slayer. Suddenly I was gullible. My senses as a hunter was considerably more dull than the average Slayer, but as though to make up for that, I was far more skillful at the killing part of it this whole deal.

"So he's in love with you," I said, trying to get back to the topic at hand.

Bella nodded slowly. I saw the pained expression on her face and I immediately could tell that he meant more to her than she had led me to believe in her letters. "Complicated relationship" now made more sense. Had it been a one-sided thing, it would have been so much simpler. I reached over the table and placed a hand on Bella's.

"It'll turn out for the best, Bells," I said, hoping to reassure her. I wasn't sure what 'the best' would be, but I was now at least here to help Bella along the way. "So what time will Edward and Alice be coming?"

"Soon," Bella said with a weak smile. She seemed a little nervous about us meeting, I supposed. "I hope you like Edward, Kayls. I really do. He's the most important person in my life right now, and I'd love it if you liked him."

"Pshaw! Don't worry about that," I laughed. "I'm not the one marrying him."

"You _know_ what I mean."

Waving a lazy hand in the air, I chuckled, "Sure, sure."

Bella looked nonplussed, then wistful for an instant. She quickly changed the conversation to my mother and I soon forgot to ask about the pained look she gave me.


	5. Chapter 4

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 4 – Dangerous Liaisons

Bella was doing the dishes. She'd shooed me out of the kitchen, insisting that guests do not do chores. I didn't complain, but I was determined to clean the house on another day when no one was home. I had to earn the room and board somehow.

I sat out in front of the house and stared up at the somber sky which showed no hint of sunlight. It was a chilly July morning. I never thought I'd have "chilly" and "July" in the same statement, but here I was, in Forks… in 55-degree weather. I was glad that I had gone to Marshall's the week before leaving Phoenix to stock up on winter clothing, which I would probably dispose of after I returned to Arizona. How Bella was able to stand living in a place that was predominantly gloomy and freezing was a mystery at first. But after reading her letters, it was apparent that Edward served like some kind of sun for her… or was it Jacob Black? Sometimes it was hard to tell from the words on the paper. She spoke of them very differently, but with almost equal amounts of adoration.

A silver, shiny Volvo pulled up to the curb and I could see that there were two figures in the car. My first thought was how out of place the Volvo was. It was posh and looked more like something I would see in Scottsdale or Paradise Valley, not in Forks.

I couldn't make out the features of the two in the car. The figures could have well been two old men dressed in drag and I wouldn't have been able to tell, had I not been expecting Bella's Edward and his sister Alice. That the passengers did not immediately exit the vehicle struck me less odd than how still they were – motionless like a pair of seated statues. I could barely see that their heads were turned in the direction of the house – or rather, me – and I wagered that they were as curious and cautious as I was. I soon wondered, however, if their caution was truly directed at me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a swift movement of… _something_. The moving object had blurred before settling behind one of the trees by Bella's parked truck. Had Edward and Alice seen it too? Impossible. The movement was far too quick to have been made by a human or animal.

My heart skipped a beat when the image of a vampire penetrated my mind. Was it possible? Here, in this sleepy Washington town? In the three years that I'd been working with Jessie, I'd never encountered monsters in sparsely populated places. Those that victimized humans preferred large cities where the disappearances of a handful of humans were more unnoticeable. Here in Forks, if the local grocer vanished, the entire town would have turned into a make-shift search party overnight. This was not the ideal place for creatures to inhabit. I reminded myself of what Nash and the rest kept telling me – that I did not possess the sharpest skill when it came to spotting monsters. Still, my eyesight is one of the best in the group, and I knew that what I saw was not _natural_. If it indeed was a monster, I had to somehow lure it elsewhere to protect Bella, Edward, and Alice.

I turned my attention to the Volvo – no movement yet over there. I took a quick glance at the tree and saw a tall, dark-skinned figure with short, black hair. It was hard to make out the details of his features, given that it really was a brief glimpse in my peripheral vision. I stood up slowly and took a step towards the curb just as the dark figure disappeared back into the woods completely. I sighed in relief. Whatever _it_ was, he was gone for now.

The car doors opened at that point, and a lanky, pale figure emerged from the driver's side. He had untidy bronze hair, and even from a distance, I could see that he was incredibly handsome. From the passenger's side, a petite female with short, pixie-like hair hopped out. Just as her brother, she had pale skin and beautiful features. Her movements seemed more lithe and fairy-like than Edward's.

I thought I was walking towards them as the distance between us closed, but apparently I had frozen on the spot – awestruck by their unearthly beauty. The closer they got, the faster my heart began to beat. I noticed that they both had strange, topaz-coloured eyes... ominously breathtaking. I'd never seen such eye-colour in my life. Perhaps I just sorely lacked in my worldly travels.

Edward was wearing a light tan jacket, brown, leather gloves, and a grey scarf – probably pashmina by the looks of it. It was not my idea of summer fashion, but who was I to talk? I was bundled up in a thick overcoat and crossing my arms over my chest to stuff my bare hands under my arm pits.

Alice had a red form-hugging knit-sweater, fashionably faded jeans, and pink… ski gloves?

I couldn't read Edward's expression at all as he stared at me. Butterflies began to do a lot more than flutter in my stomach and I was beginning to understand how Bella must feel every time Edward was around. It was only after I started to feel slightly light-headed that I realized I'd stopped breathing.

"Hi! I'm Alice," the petite girl said cheerily, almost in a sing-song voice. I shifted my eyes towards her, hoping that I didn't look like an idiot having stared at Edward for far too long.

"Um… hi, I - I'm Kayla," I managed to croak out. "Kayla Whitehorse." I extended my hand out and Alice shook it enthusiastically through her heavily padded ski glove. I then directed my eager hand towards Edward. His eyes did not shift away from my face and I was almost certain he'd bore holes into it with his stare. I blushed, and that was when he broke into a subtle, charming smile and shook my hand lightly.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he greeted me in a velvety voice. "Bella has told us quite a bit about you."

"Has she? Whatever she's said, it's not true," I heard myself giggle. _Stop it, you sound like an idiot_, I scolded myself. Giggling did not become me. The cheerleaders in school giggled; the girls at the popular Table Seven giggled. I didn't. At least, not until now.

Edward looked as though he was stifling a laugh.

"Bella never told us how stunningly pretty you are," Alice said, catching me off guard. I had been called that in school before, but at this moment, standing next to Alice and Edward, I felt plain. Homely, even. Alice lifted her hand to lead me towards the house. "I've never seen anyone with such gorgeous, brown skin and olive green eyes! It's a beautiful combination – don't you think so, Edward?"

"Yes, quite beautiful," said Edward, still sporting a half-smile that was reminiscent of Mona Lisa's.

I blushed again, but this time I also felt an inexplicable panic within as though something was terribly, _terribly_ amiss about this whole encounter.

The three of us headed straight to the kitchen where Bella was finishing up with the dishes. She turned her head and immediately, her eyes lit up at the sight of Edward. She looked like a child who'd just been told that Christmas was coming early, and I couldn't help but grin. Bella was truly happy and in love with Edward. He, in turn, looked upon her with adoration and complete devotion. Perhaps I had been mistaken in deciding that Edward had hoodwinked her. I now _had_ to make an effort to be okay with Bella's early marriage.

Bella took quick steps towards her fiancé and wrapped her arms around his waist. He ever-so-gently kissed her on the top of her head. It was a sweet scene. I glanced at Alice and shot a smile saying "oh, well" and she did the same.

"Okay, so am I going to have to beg for a hug too?" asked Alice teasingly.

Bella released Edward sheepishly and gave Alice a good squeeze. Oddly, it looked as though Alice was careful not to return the hug with as much fervor. Perhaps it was my mind playing tricks again. It seemed to be happening a lot since I boarded the plane. Maybe the boy I saw earlier was a hallucination too.

"I see you've both met Kayla," Bella said as she cocked her head in my direction.

"Yes," Edward acknowledged me with a slight tilt of his head. "She's just as amusing and friendly as you said she is."

"Amusing?" I asked in mock offense. "What's that? Synonym for 'weird'?"

"I never said that!" Bella laughed.

"That's okay. I've always been a bit odd anyway," I smiled. _And even odder still, since I started hunting_.

Edward arched a curious eyebrow at me. "Bella's told us how you've always been there for her. I really do appreciate the fact that she has friends, such as yourself, who truly care for her."

"Well, I don't know about having _always_ been there for her," I said with a little embarrassment. "We'd been out of touch for a while. So much had been going on back in Phoenix and all-"

"I should have tried to write or call more often," said Bella as she grabbed both my hands. "I'm just so glad you made it here this time."

There was something melancholy in Bella's tone. It almost sounded as though she was glad to see me – for the last time – like she was going away. Again, I chalked this up to my imagination. If she were going away, it would probably be closer to the city with Edward in their new home to live as a newly married couple.

"We need to get started right away, Bella," Alice said as she pulled out a thick, folded piece of paper from her pocket. "Seating chart! We don't have a lot of time here so let's hop to it!" Alice turned to Edward and then quickly glanced in my direction. "You two can address the invitations. How is your penmanship, Kayla?"

"Um, okay, I suppose."

"Alice, she just arrived yesterday," Edward chuckled at his sister's enthusiasm to get _everyone_ involved in the planning. "She should rest or just take the time to tour Forks – not that there is that much to see."

"No, it's alright, Edward," I smiled. "I came to help Bella with the preparations, so that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Kayla, you can rest for at least a day and-" Bella began, but I raised my palm towards her to cut her off.

"Bells, I'm going to help and that's final."

"I like her already!" Alice squealed as she excitedly clapped her hands, or rather the tips of her fingers. "Okay, you and Edward can get the invitations I'd left in a few shoeboxes up in Bella's room."

Edward nodded and waved his hand gracefully towards the stairs. "Ladies first."

We found the shoeboxes – each overflowing and piled high with cards – and set them on Bella's desk. It looked as though Alice was planning to invite the entire population of the Pacific Northwest, and I wondered if Bella had actually seen the sheer number of invitations. She couldn't have. Bella would have protested this with her life.

Edward chuckled as he pulled an extra seat to the desk.

"We can do this here so we don't have to do any balancing act bringing these downstairs," he said, his charming smile dazzling me.

Of course, I thought. _This is what had been causing the unsettling feeling!_ I was never one to be dazzled by boys, or men. Physical features were of little importance to me. In fact, physical attractiveness repulsed me to a degree. Yet, I was dazzled by Edward to the point of giggling. Ugh. I actually giggled? That had to be the reason that I felt uneasy – having been stunned in the first place. _I should not blame Edward for my feeling uncomfortable._ It wasn't his fault that he was charming and stunningly beautiful.

Edward looked amused once again as he slipped out of his jacket, like he was remembering a private joke that I wasn't privy to. I turned my attention to the mountain of cards and sighed. I reached for a little notebook stuffed into one of the boxes and flipped it open, noting that it was indeed the guest list.

"So how shall we do this?" I asked, still flabbergasted by the sheer number of people on the list.

"You can start from the top of the right page and I'll start from the top of the left," Edward suggested, pulling out two fountain pens from his jacket pocket and handing one to me.

"Sounds like a plan," I said and picked up an envelope. I peered over to his envelope and felt a little sick at how perfect his penmanship was. _Wasn't there anything wrong with him?_

I finished addressing a dozen or so envelopes at around the same time as Edward, finishing up those whose surnames began with A. Edward flipped the page and I grabbed another pile of cards and started at the top of the right page again. It was strange that I didn't mind the silence between us. I was only ever comfortable that way with Bella.

As I came down to the name 'Black, William' on the list, I noticed that the next name was 'Chaney, Ben'. Without even thinking, I muttered silently, "Where's Jacob?"

Edward's pen had stopped and I slapped a hand over my mouth. _That_ was insensitive. Why didn't I have a freaking filter between my head and mouth? I knew that Jacob wasn't going to be able to attend, but I thought his name would at least be on the list.

"I'd already given Jacob his," Edward said, smiling as always.

"Oh," was all I could say. I was surprised – and that's an understatement – that Edward had given Jacob the invitation himself. That was so… inhumanly forgiving and generous of Edward, to be asking for the attendance of the boy who was madly in love with his fiancée. Again, proof that he was perfect.

It must be painful for Jacob, too, I thought. I did not envy the situation that Bella was in. I knew too well what it was like.

"That was very big of you," I finally said as I continued to go down the list and writing the names on the envelopes.

"He deserved a choice," said Edward. He'd stopped writing, giving his words a bit more importance. "I know his love for Bella is genuine, and I know he wanted what he believed was best for her. I can't be angry at him for that, can I?"

_Are you kidding me?_ There seemed no end to Edward's benevolence. It was actually quite frightening.

"So you're not worried? Love can make one do crazy things," I said, remembering how uncontrollably insane I had been in the past in trying to win someone over who was clearly in love with another.

"I would be lying if I said that I wasn't worried at all," Edward said as his confident smile remained intact. "I was ready to accept losing Bella before - as long as she was happy. And now that she's chosen me beyond a doubt, I am quite determined to be the one at her side. Nothing will come between us."

I must have looked like an idiot with my mouth hanging open. I had never seen such devotion in my life, and I envied Bella for having such a rare kind of love. Then I wondered if Jacob Black, too, felt that kind of devotion towards her. I became doubly envious.

"Do you believe in destiny – in relationships?" Edward suddenly asked.

"Um… I'm not sure," I answered truthfully.

"I believe that we all have one. Bella is my destiny."

I couldn't say anything. I was the logical girl who didn't believe in love at first sight and who, at the age of four, knew that Santa Claus didn't exist. I had grown up a realist, and even as I took up my new role in a different world where many of my beliefs were turned upside down, that mind set never really changed. Perhaps I was doomed to eternal solitude.

"I'm sure you have yours, Kayla," he said, as though he saw my fear and reassured me.

"Thanks. Yeah, some day my Prince will come," I sang in jest.

We resumed our task and talked about everything to do with Bella. Actually, I did most of the talking - telling him of what Bella was like as a child. He laughed half the time and each time I mentioned something new about her, he genuinely looked excited. Not frenzied excitement of course – Edward was far too elegant and poised for that, but his eyes sparkled like a little boy's. Every new tidbit I could give him about a Bella he never knew was like sweet truffle – he savored each one.

"Kayla! Telephone!" I suddenly heard Bella call out from downstairs.

I assumed it was my mother, so I quickly rose from my seat and shouted back, "I'll be right there!"

"It's from someone named Nash!" I heard Bella shout back with a playful tone in her voice.

I froze. I didn't think he was going to call so soon. I had hoped he would, but I assumed that since he didn't have to 'babysit' me for a while, that he would be too preoccupied with work and courting Jessie.

"I'll be right back," I told Edward as I left Bella's room.


	6. Chapter 5

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 5 – Monster Wonderland

"Hello?" I spoke into the receiver as I waved my hand in a shooing motion towards Bella. She waggled her eyebrows, certain that the person on the other side of the receiver was my love interest. For a long time, he was. It took a year to finally give up. Sure, it felt like my insides were being ripped out of me for months, but I could say with certainly that Nash and I were never really meant to be. I finally accepted that.

"Kayla," said a soothing voice. "I'm so glad you got there alright."

"Thanks. Um, Nash, how did you get this number?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I told your mother that I had to go over your last mock calculus test because you scored poorly, so she gave me the number to your friend, Bella," he said. I could hear him suppressing a laugh.

"Gee, Nash. Thanks," I said, my voice resonating mild irritation.

"Sorry – she wouldn't have given me the number otherwise," he explained himself, still trying to hide his amusement at the expense of my having to face my mother's wrath upon returning to Arizona.

I saw Bella in the kitchen, looking over her shoulder and winking. I rolled my eyes and shook my head to tell her that Nash was not my boyfriend. Alice waved her hand in front of Bella's face to remind her that she needed to concentrate on the seating chart.

"So – you called me to see if I got into Washington in one piece?"

"Well, sure! And we all miss you alrea-"

Just as Edward walked past me to head to the kitchen – probably to grab something to drink – I heard Nash's voice hitch. There was a silence and I immediately knew something was wrong.

"Nash? Are you okay?"

"Kayla, who is there with you right now?" he whispered with urgency, which was rather silly since nobody could hear him anyway, aside from myself.

I peered into the kitchen and could see Edward showing Alice the notebook with the guest list. I couldn't hear what they were saying.

"It's just me, Bella, Alice, and Edward," I answered him matter-of-factly.

"Edward… that's your friend's fiancé, right? Who's Alice?" he demanded, his voice dead-serious.

I exhaled in exasperation. Was Nash still planning to play guardian from literally over fifteen hundred miles away? "Alice is Edward's sister. Nash, what is this about?"

There was silence again and it was beginning to make me feel edgy. I nervously twirled the phone cord between my fingers. "Nash?" I repeated.

"I'm coming up to Washington," he finally said.

"What? _No_!" I practically yelled into the receiver. Bella, Alice, and Edward turned in my direction. I grinned uncomfortably at them, and perhaps they assumed it was a couple's quarrel because they all turned away soon after that. They looked rather occupied with something else but I didn't stop to check. "Nash, don't be silly. Everything's alright. You worry too much," I continued in a whisper.

"Something's not right, Kayla. I can feel a presence, and knowing you, you'd be staring at a target and wouldn't know it," Nash insulted me as he often did, albeit with good intentions. "You're lucky you have other ridiculously advanced skills."

_Why don't you just say it? I'm a good killer_, I thought resentfully. Why couldn't I be like Jessie? Mind-control would have come in handy from time to time, like when I needed to go into a bar to follow a vampire. Nash's ability of tracking monsters would have been useful too, or Corky and his ability as Seeker, hunting down potential Slayers. I wouldn't have minded being an average-skilled Slayer. But no – I had to be an exceptional _killer_.

"_Please_, Nash," I begged. I wanted time to be a normal teenager again… just a little. "I promise you that everything is alright. This is Forks, remember?"

I didn't want to have to explain about Nash to anyone because it meant possibly having to revisit the hurt feelings I had already set aside long ago. Although my feelings for Nash were not the same, I still didn't want to go to a painful past. In addition, I was sure that I could take care of myself even _if_ – and that's a big if – there were monsters lurking around in Forks. I wasn't about to tell Nash about the uneasiness I initially felt, or about the boy who moved like a creature – the boy I _thought_ I saw.

"Kayla, you need to be careful with what you say around people," Nash warned me in a hiss.

I looked sideways towards the kitchen where I could see Alice and Edward having some kind of disagreement. I was certain Bella was siding with her fiancé, but she sat back and let Edward handle the little spat.

"I said _don't worry_. If I need your help, I'll call you." I knew that was a hurtful – and less tactful – way to say 'I appreciate your concern and you're the first person I'd run to if I thought I was in trouble'. I hoped he took it as meaning the latter.

"Fine," he said, defeated by my stubbornness. I knew he was trying to respect my wishes and I felt that much guiltier for the way I was talking to him. "We'll talk another time. Have fun."

"… Thanks, Nash. I mean it."

"Sure. Just… take care of yourself. You have my cell number," Nash reminded me. He hung up before I could say anything. I was about to head back upstairs when I heard Bella's panicked voice.

"Alice! _Alice, what is it_?"

I whirled around and saw Bella's fear-stricken face while Edward leaned in close to Alice, his expression grave. Alice's eyes looked distant, as though she was gaping at something far away. The only emotion I could possibly form from those seemingly empty eyes was terror. I inched towards the kitchen, one wary step after another.

"What's… wrong… with Alice?" I asked guardedly.

Bella immediately stood from her seat and approached me in two long strides. "Come on, Kayla. Let's go upstairs. Alice will be fine," she said unconvincingly.

She twirled my body and tried to shove me towards the stairs from behind, but I planted my feet firmly. What I saw on Alice's face was not the look of 'fine'. I looked over my shoulder, and although the trance-like state in her face was gone, the fear was still there as she gazed up at Edward silently. Edward gave a subtle nod and he mouthed 'let's go'. I would have missed it if I hadn't been paying attention.

"Bella, what's going on?" I demanded, turning my attention back to my best friend.

"Oh, look at the time! Has it already been an hour?" exclaimed Alice. "Esme is expecting us home for lunch, so Edward and I will be back a little later. Is that okay, Bella?"

"Su- sure," Bella stammered, keeping her eyes averted from mine.

She knew that I would be able to tell that she was hiding something, but it was rather too late. It was strange enough that Alice had so suddenly returned to being her cheerful self when only seconds ago, she looked as though she'd just seen someone ripped to pieces. They were hiding something and it had stirred fear in Bella. Maybe my initial instincts had been right after all.

"I'll call you," said Edward as he gently grazed Bella's cheek with the back of his hand. He turned to me with a charmingly crooked grin. "I'll see you later, Kayla. Keep Bella out of trouble."

"Hey!" Bella huffed as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Don't worry," I said flatly, managing a smile. "I will."

Two o'clock came and went with no word from either of the Cullens. Edward had left his jacket up in Bella's room and she had hoped he would at least return for it. There was definitely a nervous vibe emanating from her as she rocked back and forth on her bed, but she kept trying to reassure me that it was her pre-wedding jitters. Under any other circumstances, that might have been believable. The doubt about Edward had returned, but now, there was something askew about Alice as well.

"That's it," Bella said, as she hopped off her bed. "Something must've come up for Alice and Edward. Why don't you rest a bit? I'm gonna just make a quick phone call."

"Sure," I answered with all intentions of following her.

Bella left the room and I counted to ten before sneaking down the stairs. By the time I reached the landing, I could hear Bella whispering over the receiver.

"Why? What do they _want_?" Bella's tone was desperate and most certainly frightened. "… I don't know… no… even _they_ don't know where Jacob is."

It was no use. There was no way I could understand what she and Edward were talking about. Was someone looking for Jacob Black? What was Bella afraid of? Maybe it was none of my business. Just as I decided to turn around and quietly head back upstairs, Bella's voice cracked and I could tell she was nearly in tears.

"… Don't you _dare_, Edward Cullen! You can't leave me again. You promised - … how are you going to…. No, I won't _let_ you! … but…." There was a long silence as Edward spoke on the other side. "… Sam? He did? … okay. I don't like it, but alright," Bella said, her voice unsteady.

Bella seemed to have calmed down a little as she put the receiver down. It was frustrating not knowing what was troubling her. Why couldn't she just tell me? I might be able to help! Edward was planning to leave?

"Kayla," mumbled Bella as she came out of the kitchen and found me standing at the bottom of the stairs. She quickly wiped away a tear and tried to force a smile. I ran towards her and wrapped my arms around her. I wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be alright, but I couldn't. I didn't know why my best friend was so afraid, and I was feeling pathetic and helpless. As much as I wanted to hound her, I couldn't. I would be a hypocrite because I certainly did not want anyone asking me questions that I didn't want to answer.

"I'm sorry I listened in. You seemed so scared about something so I…. I wish I could help," I muttered, certain that the frustration in my voice could not be hidden.

"I know… thanks," Bella said with a weak smile. "Kayla… I don't know how to say this, but I think you should return to Phoenix as soon as -"

"_What_?" Thank goodness. _Now_ I had a good excuse to try and coerce information out of her. "What's going on, Bells? You practically begged me to come to Washington and I just arrived yesterday. And now you want me to go back? _What's going on_?"

"Kayls, please… it's hard to expl-"

"Try me," I challenged her.

We both stared at each other. I quickly thought back to any odd or questionable happenings that had taken place since I arrived. First and foremost - Edward. Was he involved in something unsavory? The boy behind the tree… was he real? Who, or _what_, was he? Did Edward and Alice see him too? If so, how?

"I really don't think you'd believe anything I say," said Bella, breaking the awkward silence. "Maybe one day, I can explain all-"

"Does this have anything to do about the boy that was lurking around?" I interrupted her.

"Wait. What? What boy?"

"There was a boy earlier this morning. I saw him run from the back of the house to the tree behind where you park your truck."

"Edward never said… what did the boy look like? Was it a very small boy? Pale?" Bella's voice began to tremble.

"No, no," I said quickly. "It was a tall boy, dark skin." Bella's eyes lit up. "- with short, black hair."

"Oh." She sounded suddenly disappointed. "That's not Jacob."

"Well, I could have been imagining him too. I don't know. I only saw him for a split second."

Bella suddenly raced back into the kitchen and picked up the phone, dialing frantically. I stood behind her, and this whole feeling of being clueless and lost was beginning to weigh down on me. I hated being in the dark and not being able to do anything about it.

"Edward? Did you and Alice see someone near the house this morning?" Bella sped through the words. "… Yes, she did… Oh… I wonder why… no, never mind. Thanks."

She hung up the phone and turned towards me with uncertainty in her eyes. "Did you say you saw a boy running from behind the house to a tree?"

"Yeah. The one behind your truck?"

Bella stared at me, puzzled. "It was Embry, one of Jacob's friends. I don't know what he was doing here though, and neither do Edward and Alice."

"_They saw him too_?" Well now, _that_ was unexpected.

"Actually, we're all surprised that you saw him at all," said Bella.

Oh, boy. I forgot. I'm supposed to be a _normal_ teenager.

"Well, it wasn't like he was invisible," I said matter-of-factly, trying to disguise my slip-up. "At least from where I was standing, I could see him. But I'm pretty sure he would have been hidden from where Edward and Alice were."

It was Bella's turn to look nervous. "They… both have excellent eyesight," she managed a meager excuse. "It's scary how well those two can see."

Right through a thick tree? Yeah, I'd say that's some really 'scary' eyesight. Whatever doubt that I had managed to erase earlier about Edward swiftly came back. I narrowed my eyes to let Bella know that I wasn't buying her explanation, but I saw in hers that no matter what I said or did, she wasn't going to tell me anything.

"Look, if you don't want to explain why I need to return to Phoenix, that's fine," I muttered. "But I'm not going back. I'll stay at a motel in Forks if I have to."

Bella's shoulders slumped and she sighed hopelessly. "I was afraid you'd say that. Kayls, you know I'd never ask you to leave without a good reason-"

"Exactly," I interrupted her, pulling out my trusty notebook where I'd listed out names of the Bed & Breakfasts in Forks before I'd left Phoenix. I made the list just in case an unexpected wedding guest came by and I had to surrender my sleeping space.

"Bella," I continued, rifling through the pages. "I'd leave even without an explanation if I felt comfortable doing so, but I'm not." I snapped my head and stared at her intently, hoping to convey how serious I was. "Ever since I got on the plane in Arizona, I kept getting this odd feeling that something just wasn't right. I thought maybe Edward had somehow tricked you in marrying him-"

"What?!" Bella looked confused, surprised, and insulted.

"Well he's leaving, isn't he?! _Postponing_ the wedding? That's one tactic."

Bella's mouth opened and shut like a traumatized fish, speechless. But the anger was gone. She let out a small burst of air as the corners of her mouth hitched up in a half-smile.

"What?" I asked as I found the list of Forks accommodations. Bella looked as though she was about to explain something complex to a five year old.

"Kayls," she finally said. "It's not like that at all. He's just leaving to… take care of a few things. You know, before the wedding. He'll be back in a few days."

"Okay –" I responded tentatively, my eyes turning into slits again. I still didn't get it. "So if there's no problem with the original schedule, why do you want me to go back home only to come back here for the actual event?"

Bella clammed up again and I could feel my usually abundant patience waning rather quickly. She wasn't going to say anything. Maybe it was better to ask, or coerce, Edward privately, but that would mean having to follow him off the Swan property and catching up to him.

The doorbell rang urgently and we both turned to stare at the door questioningly.

Bella rushed to open it and I followed closely behind her. There, to our surprise, stood Edward. The engine of his Volvo was still roaring at the curb.

Wait. Wasn't he just on the phone with Bella?

"Hi Bella, Kayla," Edward greeted us, stuffing his cell phone into his jeans' back pocket. Oh, I see.

He placed his hand under Bella's chin, lifting it lightly as he leaned in to kiss her gently. Too gently. There was an air of caution in the way he kissed her.

"Edward, what are you doing here? I thought you had to hurry off?" Bella inquired. Her voice definitely sounded overjoyed.

Edward slid his arms around her waist and delicately pulled her closer to him.

"I do, but I just had to see you again before I leave," he whispered, but audibly enough.

Edward glanced at me and I instantly knew that he came by to check up on Bella. He was as suspicious of me as I was of him. I could almost feel the itch of him wanting to know how I was able to see… what was his name? Avery? Ember?

It didn't matter. There was nothing Edward could do to persuade me to go home anyway. Too many things were amiss. Besides, I had to look into that boy behind the tree too. As far as I could tell, that Ember kid sure wasn't quite human.

The pale boy's topaz eyes glinted with curiosity now. What _was_ he thinking?

"We're meeting with Sam first, at the clearing. Then Jasper and I will head out east," Edward said before kissing Bella one more time. She gave one slow nod.

Just as he retracted his arms and shifted his body to turn away from us, a ray of sunlight burst through the clouds over the front of the house – just a few feet from the bottom of the steps – all the way to the curb. The Volvo was now sparkling in a blinding silver hue.

Edward froze on the spot.

It was then that I got a glimpse of fear in both Edward's and Bella's eyes when they simultaneously turned to look at me. But it was gone all too quickly.

And so was the sun. It was once again hidden by the ever-present clouds.

"I'd better go. Jasper's waiting in the car," said Edward hurriedly before turning to me. "You might want to watch out for the tree roots. They're a bit tricky," he said in a warning tone, then he rushed to his car as though he was racing against something.

"Tree roots?" Bella arched an eyebrow at me.

I returned her questioning gaze and shrugged. I had _no_ idea what Edward was talking about.


	7. Chapter 6

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 6 – The Clearing

The roaring of the Volvo's engine faded into the distance. I knew I had to follow him somehow, but I had to leave now if I were to catch up with Edward's flashy car.

"Bella, I'm gonna go to the store and get some stuff for dinner," I said, already making my way down the small path towards the street.

"Oh, we can go in my truck. It's not walking distance." Bella looked as though she was reaching for her keys that hung just by the door.

"I can run faster than that truck of yours," I jested. "Besides, I'd like to jog and sight-see the town. I'll be back in an hour or two."

"You're going to run," she said in a tone that was both in question and bemusement.

"Oh, you know us Navajos. We like to run long distances," I chuckled as I began jogging away from Bella now. "Don't worry! I noted the location when we passed it yesterday!"

"Okay! Can you get two loaves of bread?" Bella called out as I headed down the street in the direction that Edward had driven. I waved an "OK" sign at my friend and picked up the pace as soon as I was out of sight.

Getting the timing to speed up was tricky with people on the streets. I had to make sure no one saw me "vanish." When I was certain no one was looking, I ran full-speed, the chilly wind whipping against my face. To others, it would have felt like a small gust of wind when I ran past them. Invisible.

I felt the vibrations of Edward's car and was thankful that he had such a vehicle that ran at least twice as fast as the other cars in Forks. It gave a more discernable feel against my feet as I tracked him, and I was careful to keep my distance, running in the woods that flanked the road in certain areas but ensuring that I ran on the asphalt once in a while to make sure I was still headed in the right direction.

I felt the Volvo stop and I slowed my pace until I found the silver car parked amongst the trees by the road. It was empty. I cautiously approached it when I saw flashes between the trees. The hairs at the back my neck stood on end, and I could almost hear Nash reprimanding me on what I was about to do solo. My better judgment told me to call my team immediately. What I had feared and hoped was just my imagination was actually real.

There were monsters in Forks. And my best friend could be _marrying_ one.

There was no time to call. I had to follow right now or I risked the chance of losing Edward and his "brother", Jasper. Brother. _Ha_.

I dashed through the trees in the direction of where I'd seen the flash of movements. They were fast and I could barely feel their motions on the ground. Again, I saw a flicker of movement ahead of me, zigzagging. The two were definitely fast, but I was able to discern Edward's face in the distance, and that confirmation made me sick to my stomach.

That moment of distraction made me trip over and something sharp on the ground cut into my leg in a long gash. I was on the ground, pressing my hand against the cut and focused on healing it on the spot. This meant possibly losing them and my frustration began to build up. As blood trickled over my calf, I looked up and noticed that the other boy paused and turned my way for a split second – chilling ferocity in his eyes - before rushing after Edward. He was muscular, but lean. And unlike Edward's copper hair, his brother had honey-blond locks, but just as with his siblings, he was pale and eerily beautiful.

It was all beginning to click now, and I felt the blood drain from my face. The breath-taking beauty, the fear in Edward's eyes when the sun shone through the clouds in his path, the speed at which they ran…. Their physical appearance alone should have given it away if not for their topaz eyes, which I assumed were funky-colored contacts. I'd never encountered vampires whose eyes weren't a deathly crimson, but I was almost certain that they were bloodsuckers.

Edward. A vampire. I _knew_ he was too good to be true.

Does Bella know? I had to warn her. I was torn between following Edward and Jasper, and running back home to warn Bella about her monster-fiancé.

I hissed as the sharp pain of the accelerated healing jabbed at my leg. I glared pointlessly at the cause of my fall. _Damn tree root_.

Tree root… t_ree root!_

I felt as though someone had taken a paddle to my stomach and knocked the wind right out of me. Edward had known I was going to follow! _How_?

Curiosity got the better of me, and I slowly stood up and looked down at my now-healed leg. As much as I wanted to warn Bella that she was about to enter into unholy matrimony, I had to find out what the two vampires were up to. If it got hairy, I could easily take down two bloodsuckers at once. I hurried through the woods, praying that I was taking the right path. Soon, I heard faint voices up ahead and felt both a relief and fear – it was an odd, clashing sensation akin to tasting ice cream with ketchup.

The voices slowly became clearer as I quietly inched closer and paused behind a large tree before cautiously peering to the side at what looked to be an open meadow, shaded by the massive surrounding trees. There were two groups facing one another with at least 20 feet between them, and I immediately recognized Edward and Jasper standing on the south side, next to another boy who looked like a wrestler. He had curly, dark hair and was incredibly tall, but he had the same vampiric skin tone. Recalling what Bella had told me, I knew it had to be Emmett. Next to him was an older person, probably in his early twenties. He had blond hair and was just as pale as the others in his group, but he emitted a calm and serene aura, and seemed to be the head of the vampire party. Was it Carlisle Cullen? I couldn't tell - I'd imagined Bella's soon-to-be father-in-law to be older. Then again, these monsters didn't age.

The sick feeling attacked my insides once again as I turned my attention to the other group facing the Cullens. There were five of them.

They were definitely Native American, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they were Quileute boys, but they were… _massive_. Each boy stood well over 6'3". Could Indians grow _that_ tall? A whole group of them? The unease and ill sensation worsened at the sight of the russet-skinned boys, who all looked almost identical with their shortly cropped, black hair. They stood in V-formation with the seemingly oldest standing at the lead. He, too, had a serene quality about him, yet I could tell he was cautious in his stance.

I miraculously recognized one of the Quileute boys from earlier in the day. It was the Ember kid, and at that moment, I realized that this group of Quileutes was just as unnatural as the vampires. _What_ were they? Were they bloodsuckers, too?

"It seems we have no choice but to form another truce," said the vampire whom I was now convinced was Carlisle.

"Temporarily," the leader of the Quileute group added in a commanding tone.

"What exactly did you… sniff out?" asked the massive vampire with curly hair, crossing his arms over his broad chest as though challenging the Quileute boys.

There were low, almost inaudible growls emitting from the Native boys standing behind the leader, who kept his calm demeanor.

"Your kind," he answered. He hesitated a little before continuing. "And what we think is our kind, but there was something… _off_ about the scent."

The Cullens looked at one another, and even in their unchanged expression, I could tell they were curious.

The dark-skinned boy continued to speak. "We're certain of the scent of werewolves, but not from out pack."

_Excuse me? Pack? Werewolves? What the…?!_

My mind went into hyper-drive as I tried to comprehend what I'd just heard, but I was distracted by the rapid beating of my heart pounding in my ears. _This was freak'n Forks!_ There weren't supposed to be any night creatures living in such a sparsely populated area – and in such large numbers!

_Does this mean that Jacob, too…. No, maybe he isn't one. _I prayed that he wasn't a monster, and this took me by surprise. Was I praying for Jacob's humanity for Bella's sake? It was bad enough that I had to tell her that her fiancé was a bloodsucking creature, but to have to tell her that her best friend, too…. She would be devastated, unless she went insane first. Would she even believe me?

I ducked back behind the tree and leaned against it, pressing my hand over my heart, afraid that it was going to give away my location. The image of Alice falling down the deep, black hole – thanks to her rabbit-induced curiosity – flashed in my mind, and I seriously did not feel like taking a leisurely stroll in this particular Wonderland.

"Sam, are you aware of any werewolves living in or around the northwestern States, aside from yourselves?" I heard Edward ask, an edge tainting his usually soothing voice.

There was a moment of silence and I peered out again. The Quileute boys looked at one another – except for the leader, who I now knew was Sam – before they turned to Edward in a perfect, synchronized motion.

"What are Skinwalkers?" Edward asked as though in response to something Sam had said and only Edward heard.

Carlisle's head almost unnoticeably jerked back a little, betraying his calm demeanor. Jasper didn't seem all that comfortable either.

"They're shape-shifters," Sam began to explain, his expression seemed a tad grim though it was hard to tell. "But they inhabit the southwest, around Arizona and New Mexico. Our people have never had any encounters with them before, but we can smell a werewolf over long distances – whatever is coming this way are werewolves. There is a pack heading north-"

Emmett raised both his hands to pause Sam.

"Just hang on a sec," he snarled. "So Skinwalkers are werewolves?"

"Yes and no." The response did not come from Sam as I had expected. It was Carlisle. Edward, Emmett, and the Quileute boys quickly turned their attention to him. "Skinwalkers can turn into whatever animal whose power they are tapping. They do this by wearing animal hides, and more often than not, they use wolf hides.

"They are not like the Quileute werewolves in the sense that they depend upon a wolf to turn themselves into one," Carlisle continued, now pacing slowly between his family and the Quileutes. "They cannot change on their own. For the most part, their powers lie in the psychic realm."

"What's that mean? They fight and mess with people's heads?" Emmett questioned with a scoff.

"In a sense, yes," Sam said, but showing more respect to the powers of the shapeshifters. "The physical being that you and I would be able to see is just a _borrowed_ form. The soul would remain with the human form miles and miles away, safe from harm. If we're truly up against Skinwalkers, it's not going to be easy to defeat them-"

"- because the borrowed form may die, but the essence of the shapeshifter will simply return to its human form which we may not be able to find," said Edward, again seemingly having read what Sam was thinking.

There was a brief silence before Emmett growled. "Well, that sucks."

"Yeah," a beefy Quileute boy standing on Sam's left agreed. "And they're moving strangely… venturing too far away from their territory. Skinwalkers traditionally don't do that." I could hear the slight fear in his voice as the volume went up a notch. "They might go as far as Texas, California, or Colorado, but we've never heard of them going beyond those areas. And now they're somewhere in Oregon, still heading north – in _our_ direction!"

"Calm down, Quil," Sam said in an even tone. While I could sense the tension emitting from the other Quileute boys, I sensed nothing from Sam. He seemed serene, free of concerns. "I have some theories," he went on as he took a cautious step towards Carlisle. "We may be lucky and they might not be _true_ Skinwalkers. The grim side of this theory is that what we have to face could be the Nayeh wolves."

"I was afraid of that," Carlisle sighed. "But that's the most likely explanation for their coming out this far."

Jasper gave one slow nod, acknowledging what Carlisle had just said. Edward looked as though he was straining to listen to some inaudible voice and nodded as well. This seemed to have annoyed Emmett.

"I _really_ don't like _not_ being in-the-know," he grunted, his fists tightening along with the muscles of his crossed arms.

"Nayehs are like mutant Skinwalkers," Jasper finally spoke out. "They emerged only two centuries ago but were rare and even the Skinwalkers stayed away from the Nayehs. Back in the late 1800s, we had only heard of three in existence and they never ventured out of the Four Sacred Mountains in the southwest. They were considered rogue Skinwalkers that delved into more evil than the average shapeshifter and began feeding on human flesh, often times their bones too."

Behind the relative safety of my tree, I shuddered. I had never encountered Nayeh wolves before, but I had heard of them because they existed in my home state, always moving under the radar.

I had overheard Linc and Jessie talking about Nayeh wolves before I left Phoenix. I wondered if that was what their new mission was about. If so, then it was only a matter of time before the Slayers made their way up here as well. But we would not only be facing an unidentified number of Nayehs, we would also be facing seven vampires and at least five werewolves. This was going to be a big, bloody mess and I wasn't sure if my group of seven Slayers would be enough to defeat the creatures.

But what business did Nayeh wolves have up in Washington, I wondered.

"Why would Nayehs come to Washington?" asked Edward, echoing my thoughts. There was dead silence. No one seemed to know the answer to this one.

I tried to search for a plausible answer. I thought long and hard to the point where my head felt like it was going to explode.

Then, it hit me. The Nayeh wolves craved power – unadulterated, evil power – so much so that even the Skinwalkers avoided them. But, like the Skinwalkers, they relied on wolves in order to turn into one so that they could feed on humans. They constantly relied on another living creature to live. Nayehs had no interest in other creatures like vampires, so it couldn't be them that are luring the mutant shapeshifters up to Washington. It couldn't be me, either. Of all Slayers, they would most likely want to avoid me. They also would never hunt this far out of their territory, so it wasn't food that was motivating them.

So it came down to the Quileute pack. They must have something that the Nayehs want, I thought. _But what_? It was frustrating, and I knew I had to get a hold of Nash as soon as possible. Then I had to get Bella and Charlie the heck out of this Monster Wonderland.

"We'll discuss this further upon Edward and Jasper's return." Carlisle's soothing voice caught my attention again. "They'll scout the areas as far south as Portland. We'll also look into the presence of _our_ kind."

I was getting too nauseated to peer around the tree but I sensed that the Quileute boys had no objections. I had never felt this disoriented and unprepared before, except for the time I woke up in the hospital on the day that my father was declared missing and likely dead. My head whirled in super-spin cycle as horrific mental images stabbed at my brain – of Nayeh wolves and Quileute werewolves with their razor-sharp incisors; of the Cullens and their blood-thirsty kind, of Edward sinking his teeth into Bella; of me, finally, unable to fulfill my job as Slayer; of mom, alone and defenseless.


	8. Chapter 7

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 7 – Jacob's Return

Get up. _Get up!_ I reprimanded myself. There was so much I needed to do that I couldn't decide where to start.

Bella and Charlie! They had to come first, for now.

My feet felt as though they were nailed to the earth and my arms, crossed and shackled to my torso. I couldn't move at all, and it was only when I became light-headed that I realized I wasn't breathing either. The voices of Carlisle, Edward, Sam, and the rest of the unnatural creations faded slowly and became muffled, as though someone was stuffing cotton into my ears.

_Breathe, dammit!_

"I'll go with you… Edward," I heard an unfamiliar voice, which was quickly followed by gasps and growls of varying intensity. The voice was strangely soothing and it felt as though it forced air back into my lungs.

"Jake!" That voice, I heard before. It was Quil's. "You're _really_ back! _You came back_!!"

"Calm down, Quil. I was only gone for a few months and you knew I was coming."

Jacob's low and gentle voice echoed in the shocked silence. It was as though no one had really expected him to return to Forks, or La Push, as this case may be. I then realized that he hadn't left for some family affair – he'd left, assumingly, for good. He'd tried to run away from the pain that was probably brought about by Edward and Bella's impending union.

Hang on. Did Jacob say he was going to go with Edward and Jasper?

_Oh no…._

He's one of _them_ – one of the… _monsters_!

That realization corked my breathing again, but it also hurled me into frantic motion. Before I could gauge my ability to move my body, I was already half-way out of the woods in a mad dash back to Bella and Charlie's place. Calf muscles that had never ached before began to burn and tighten before it dawned on me that I was running with cramps.

I'd reached the house under two minutes, slowing down just enough so as not to tear the front door down. I flung the door open and ran to the kitchen, reminding myself to breathe, or at least to try to remember how.

"Kayls!" Bella smiled, waving me into the kitchen with one hand and holding onto the refrigerator door handle with the other. Her expression quickly turned into one of confusion and she cocked her head to one side. "Umm… Kayla, where'd you leave the groceries?"

I took one swift stride towards her and grabbed her wrist, pivoted on the spot and hurriedly dragged her out of the kitchen.

"Kayla! What-"

"Bella, you need to pack some change of clothes. _Right now_."

I had to get her away from this monster-infested town as quickly as possible. Bella nearly tripped on the way up the stairs but I held onto her wrist and pulled her up.

"What are you talking-"

"Bella, _please_," I said as calmly as I could manage. "I'll explain later. Just pack up a few things. We're going to the Police Station to get Charlie."

Bella wrenched her hand away from my grasp and curled her hand around the railing. The colour had drained from her face at this point.

"Kayla, you need to calm down! What's going on?!"

I'd tried to hide the panic in my voice but I suppose I'd done a mediocre job of keeping my composure otherwise. My hand was shaking and I tried to relax my jaw but couldn't. There was no time to explain.

I rushed into my room, slammed the door and pulled my duffle bag from under my bed, almost tearing off the zipper as I tugged at the slider in frenzy. I never thought I'd need my gloves during this trip, but I was thankful that Nash made me bring them. I slipped the black, leathery gloves on and felt the material stretch then cling onto my skin. Over my knuckles were built-in, slot-like attachments.

As I curled my fingers into fists, metallic-silver sliding-blades shot out of the slots, revealing four sharp, five-inch blades on each hand. They always reminded me of bear claws, but sharper – _much_ sharper. Each blade was durable and keen enough to cut diamond, but their main purpose was to slash, and kill, unnatural creatures that brought harm to humans. For the last three years, my gloves had been my protector and they defined who… or rather, _what_ I was.

"Kayla?" Bella called as my door squeaked open.

I quickly retracted my metallic claws, grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

"You're scaring me, Kayla. What's going on?" Bella pleaded for an explanation as she peered in.

I tried to get past her but she gripped my upper arm tightly. I didn't have a choice but to break her heart with the horrific news.

"You're going to think I'm crazy, Bella, but you've gotta believe me when I tell you-"

I hadn't really thought out how to tell her and I hesitated, scrambling for words that would make my discovery credible, or at least, rational.

Your fiancé is a vampire. Your fiancé isn't quite _alive_. You're about to marry the undead. Great. None of them sounded remotely sane!

"Tell me _what_?" Bella pressed me to continue.

"Bella." I inhaled deeply and grabbed her by the side of her arms in case she either wanted to faint or needed steadying from laughing too hard. "Edward… is a vampire."

I rather expected her to just burst out in laughter and ask me what the punch line is supposed to be, but she didn't. I never thought it possible but she paled even more. Her lips began to quiver and her pupils looked like they were dilating. Did she believe me? _Really_?

"How… did you find out?" Bella mumbled slowly.

A wave of confusion crashed over me and my mind went on a fritz. Then, nothing. I felt like I was one of those ancient TV sets mom used to tell me about – the ones that, when turned off manually, the image would shrink into this tiny dot in the center of the screen before it, too, blipped out of sight.

"You… _knew_?!" My voice broke.

Bella's eyes shifted sideways uncomfortably and she nodded once.

"You're – you're marrying him _knowing_ that he's a _monster_?!"

"He's NOT a monster!" Bella snapped, turning to face me. Her brown eyes were riddled with anger, fear, and defiance.

My body began to shake with rage. Monsters were meant to be killed – not _loved_! Granted, the Slayers' Code dictated that we couldn't kill without evidence of immediate danger to humans, but no vampire ever went long without thirsting for human blood. The exception was Newborns – we had free reign to kill those.

I had to focus hard to keep my blades from shooting out and hurting Bella by accident. This was my weakness that Nash pointed out and had been working on with me. Experienced Slayers could easily control the blades with their will, but in my case, my temper and basic instinct still controlled them.

I squeezed my eyes shut and hoped that the adrenaline would subside.

"I love him more than life itself, and I know with my whole being that he loves me the same way," Bella pled.

My hands, balled into tight fists, slid to my side and I was still trying to make sense of it all.

"Bella?" a voice called from downstairs. It registered in my head that it was Emmett's.

_Destroy_. My Slayer instincts automatically took over me and I was out of my room and downstairs in a flash, my blades ready for the kill. I afforded Emmett no time to react, and his body shuddered when he realized – likely from incredulity – that I was on his back and my weapon was at his throat.

"_DON'T! Please!_"

I heard Edward's plea from behind just as my claws cut an inch into Emmett's cold, marble neck. Much to my surprise, I actually hesitated, unable to sever the head off the bloodsucker in my grasp. Emmett didn't try to struggle free, probably knowing that doing so meant a quicker end.

Bella finally appeared at the top of the stairs. When she saw my lock on Emmett and that the blades had already cut in quite deeply, her knees weakened and she collapsed on the floor, gripping onto the railing. I knew from her expression that she was struggling to make sense of all this.

Edward's presence became apparent when I felt the cold radiating from his body behind me. Then, I felt a third vampire. Almost immediately, I felt a calmness that just didn't go with the adrenaline I was feeling only a split second ago.

"Kay…la?" Bella choked out my name. She couldn't say any more than that and I was now appalled that she'd seen me at my worst, or best, depending on how one looked at it.

I swallowed hard and tried to focus on the vampires standing behind me.

"We're not here to fight you." I recognized the voice as belonging to Jasper.

"Please… Kayla. Let our brother go. Please." Edward's voice was controlled but there was a tinge of sincere and desperate concern.

It was truly disorienting. Vampires were never known to have human, caring sentiments. Their only concern was their own survival, yet here were two who seemed genuinely worried that they would lose their "brother."

"Kayla," Bella wept, her cheeks glistening with uncontrolled tears. "Please… let Emmett go."

I looked up and saw a new expression on Bella now, and I felt my heart being wrenched out. It was a look similar to those that I'd seen on monster victims, just as they were facing their own deaths.

I swiftly retracted me claws, jumped off the curly haired vampire and flew out the door at full speed. I ran, not knowing where I was headed. I just had to get away from there. I left Bella with the bloodsuckers, now knowing somewhere in my heart that the Cullens would not hurt her, and the pain in my chest increased in intensity. I tried to blink away the tears that I didn't know I still had, but I was only further blinded by them.

I never – even in my worst nightmares – imagined anyone would look at me the way Bella did. Slayers were placed on this earth to save mankind. We were the _good guys_! Yet my best friend looked at me as if she'd never seen me before, and worse, as if _I_ were the monster.


	9. Chapter 8

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 8 – Truce

The Pacific Ocean ultimately stopped me from running further, and I collapsed onto the wet sand under my feet, my head inclined as my gloved hands fisted handfuls of sand. I wasn't sure how I got there or what route I took since the scenes around me were nothing more than blurred lines when I ran. Had it not been for a huge, brown sign that said 'Rialto Beach' I would have not known where I was.

I had not cried in years. I couldn't even remember when I last wept – certainly, it was some time before my father passed away, but I just couldn't be certain. 'Confusion' did not cover the gamut of emotions I was running through.

When had the world turned upside down, where human-feeding creatures became acceptable? Or was it just Bella? Were the Cullens and the Quileute werewolves just different somehow? If so, how were they different? How is it that they all seemed so… _human_?

"Nash," I whispered, feeling the tears flowing down the sides of my nose, converging at the tip before they dripped rapidly onto the sandy space between my fists. "Nash, I need you right now."

When it came down to it, I still needed Nash. I no longer felt the crush that I had on him long ago, but I needed him to feel confident. In every battle we'd shared, he always had my back. He allowed me to do my job freely because I knew that he would never let anything harm me during battle, if he could help it.

Now here I was in a small town with no less than twelve unnatural beings, and I didn't have his protection. I'd realized then that my 'preparedness' for battle had always been an illusion – it was Nash who was prepared. I only did what I was good at and trusted that I would come out with minimal injury because of Nash, who was especially alert when battling werewolves. He was always one step ahead of them, making it easy for me to quickly tear them apart in larger numbers. Now, more than ever, I needed him, and I regretted having stopped him from coming.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been sitting there on the beach, but when I heard the engine of what I could now distinguish as a Volvo shut off in the distance, I quickly lifted my hands to my damp face and frantically wiped away the tears, only to be replaced by erratic trails of sand.

No vampire was going to see me in this vulnerable state.

I stood up and patted my clothes and knees, clapped the sand off my hands before going over my face once again, just in case I looked like I'd just buried my head in the sand. I wasn't sure if I wanted to come face-to-face with Edward just yet, still not being able to process the idea of a civil vampire, but I knew I _had_ to – eventually. After all, he was Bella's…. I still cringed at the thought of this union, and I did everything in my conscious power to _not_ think of anything beyond them saying 'I do'. It was just too disturbing.

"Kayla!" I heard Bella's frantic voice.

I heard the sand swish behind me with every step that Bella took. I slowly turned to face her. I wasn't sure what expression I wore, but whatever it was, it stopped Bella from coming any closer. There was, for the first time in our lives, an uncomfortable silence cutting through the air between us. Neither of us knew quite what to say.

Behind her in the distance, I could see Edward Cullen standing by his car, unmoving like the marble statue that he was. There was worry strewn all over his face, but I wasn't sure whether he was worried about Bella being able to calm me down or about her safety around me. In any case, he was prudent to stay back.

"Kayls," Bella struggled to utter. "Edward… he explained your… _abilities_ to me."

Bella sounded so careful and selective of the words she was using, and the distance between us seemed to have doubled. The pang I felt momentarily hindered my comprehension.

"How would he know what my abilities are?" I finally spoke, and I heard my own anger in my voice which I had not intended upon. "He has no idea wha- … _who_ I am and what I'm capable of!"

"You've shown quite nicely what you're capable of, using Emmett's neck as a demonstration board!"

Bella's sudden fury took me by surprise, and I could see Edward itching to come closer, but he patiently waited. I didn't know what exactly he was waiting for to happen, but I would have wanted any excuse to sink my claws into him. He was the reason for the change in my best friend – she was no longer the Bella I knew when we were growing up.

Edward stood motionless, then took a slow step backwards and leaned against his car.

"He said that you're… a Slayer? That it's your job to, um, eliminate monsters that harm humans."

When I neither denied nor confirmed this statement, Bella took a cautious step towards me.

"And how would Edward know all this?" My teeth felt like magnets as I struggled to open my mouth to speak.

"He has a special ability – uncommon even amongst vampires," Bella explained, her voice now low and calm. "He can read others' minds… well, except mine. We don't know why that is. He was listening to your thoughts the whole time you were there at the clearing, behind the tree."

A vampire with _special_ abilities? Oh, this was just getting better and better.

"Does he see the future too?" I asked sardonically.

"Future? No, he can't. Why do you ask?"

"He knew I was going to follow him," I retorted will a little less patience.

Bella tapped her chin with her finger twice before an explanation hit her. "Alice must've told him. She can see the future."

"Alice can _what_?"

Bella realized her slip and quickly looked over her shoulder at Edward. He exhaled deeply and waved his hand lazily as if to say "Oh well. What's done is done. Just be more careful."

None of this was good news. If Edward could read minds and Alice could see the future, goodness knows what other special talents the other Cullens had. And what about the werewolves? Did they have special powers, too, aside from the usual speed, monster-strength, and shared mind? What was Jacob's special talent?

"What abilities does Ja-" I barely sounded the 'J' sound when I caught Edward shaking his head from side to side in the distance, and eyeing me sternly. He hadn't told Bella that Jacob had returned! Oddly, I felt as though Edward was wise not telling her, but I didn't understand why – it was just one of those gut feelings that I seldom ignored.

"What abilities does Jasper have?" I asked instead.

"I can't tell you that Kayls," Bella sighed. "I can't have you use the knowledge to _off_ my future in-laws. Look… the Cullens and the Quileute pack – they would _never_ hurt humans. The Cullens have sworn off human blood – vegetarian, so to speak. And the Quileute werewolves exist only to protect their people."

"Fine," I said unconvincingly, crossing my arms and turning away from her.

There was only a brief moment of silence before Bella suddenly burst out. "This is… _so_… _UNFAIR_!"

I spun my head back and blinked several times, my mouth slightly agape. "Um… what's unfair?" I asked, having no clue what her sudden outburst was about.

"Why am I _human_? The people I love are turning out to be non-humans!"

"I _am_ human!" I growled at Bella's insinuation that I was just like her monsters. "I might have super-human abilities but I _am_ human!"

"I'm… sorry," Bella apologized weakly. I was confused, but also furious that she sounded envious – like she didn't _want_ to be human! After three years as a Slayer, I knew that what I wanted was a normal life with no monsters and no more killing. It felt like with every life I took – no matter how abominable – chipped away at my humanity. I didn't want to be a Slayer anymore, and sometimes I wondered if I would be able to remember how _not_ to be one. Could I have a normal life again? Could I stop the desire to slay monsters? Will that desire disappear if I ever got to stop being a Slayer? These were pointless reflections – how could I abandon this life, knowing that there were dangerous beings in the world that threatened people?

The silence stretched. What could I say to Bella without starting yet another argument with her? We obviously stood on opposite sides of the monster-spectrum.

"Do you… age?" Bella finally said. There was hesitation in her voice.

"Yes," I sighed, trying very hard to be patient. "Yes, Slayers age as normal people do."

"Oh… I see." Bella seemed a little relieved. "Kayls, about what I was asking you earlier…. I really do think you should go back to Phoenix. The Cullens and the Quileute werewolves are good people."

I scoffed at the last word.

"I've decided to remain here in Forks."

"There really isn't anything to worry about," Bella insisted. "I've been safe for the last three years, haven't I?"

It was still hard for me to comprehend the whole concept of 'vegetarian vampires' and werewolves that didn't pray on humans one way or another. It was almost akin to being told about a sun that rises in the middle of the night. It was hard to grasp, but the fact was that Bella survived Forks all this time while spending time with them. I had to trust that they were 'safe'.

"Your reason for wanting me to leave Forks was because you thought I might be in danger, isn't it? Edward probably mentioned something about forming a truce with the wolves because of suspicious creatures headed out this way?"

"Well, yeah…."

"The reason is moot, now that you know I'm perfectly capable of defending myself. I'm staying."

"Kayla, you might be able to defend yourself against one, _maybe_ two vampires," Bella protested fervently. "We don't know how many are headed out this way!"

"All the more reason for me to stay, Bella! If the Cullens and the werewolves are preparing to fight off these unknown vampires and Nayeh wolves-"

"Wait. What? What are those?"

It seemed Edward was very selective in the information he shared with Bella, and I assumed that it was to keep her fear at a minimum.

"Look, it doesn't matter. All you need to know is that to them, you're _lunch_."

"I've fallen into that category several times before," Bella quipped as she rolled her eyes.

"In any case, _your_ monsters need all the help they can get."

Bella winced at the term I used for her beloved would-be family and friends, but I ignored it and shifted my gaze to Edward. Before I had a chance to wave him over, Edward was already making his way towards us, covering a significant distance in milliseconds. This was highly inconvenient that he could easily read my thoughts.

"We'll handle this," he began just as he reached the spot next to Bella. She had not expected him to approach us and his sudden appearance jolted her. "We've dealt with worse in the past. I can't imagine one Slayer making that big a difference."

"You have _no_ idea how to battle Nayehs," I pointed out, as though I'd fought any myself before. "And obviously you've never come across a Slayer in your entire life. One Slayer can make a huge difference! There are only twenty-eight of us covering the entire United States, which has been more than adequate. Who do you think takes care of the dozens of Newborns created each month?"

Edward raised an eyebrow. It seemed that even _he_ didn't realize that that many were created so frequently.

"You don't think the Volturi posts guards around the country to offer clean up service, do you?" I noticed his calm expression falter with the mention of the Volturi. Bella's face now sported a rather unhealthy shade of green. "You see, Edward," I continued smugly. "We get to the Newborns before they even make a peep."

"I don't doubt your skill, seeing as you'd managed to restrain my brother and very well nearly lopped his head off, which I assure you is no easy task," Edward managed to say coolly. "I just don't think this is a fight you should get involved in. It's our problem."

"You still don't understand, do you? Vampires and werewolves – the _normal_ ones," I said, my sarcastic and italicized tone did not go unnoticed. "– are _always_ our problem." Edward fell silent and I wondered if he was finally weighing the pros and cons of welcoming me as an ally.

"I can't give you an answer right now," Edward said smoothly. "It's not my call, Kayla."

It felt strange now, knowing that he was a vampire and hearing my own name escape his lips.

"Well, who's is it?" I demanded.

"Carlisle's and Sam's."

"Edward!" Bella finally spoke out, clutching onto her fiancé's sleeve. "You're not seriously considering getting Kayla in the middle of all this! She could get herself killed!"

The corners of my mouth tugged down in an insulted frown. Bella still did not comprehend what it was that I did vocationally, but I suppose I couldn't really blame her. She knew the 'me' who was a normal girl. And she'd never heard of a Slayer before, much less seen one during hunts and battles. Despite the fear she might have felt towards me at the moment I very nearly decapitated Emmett, somewhere in her mind, she must think – or hope – that I was still the same Kayla whom she knew growing up.

"I want to talk to Carlisle… and Sam," I said slowly. Bella whirled around to challenge me but I lifted a hand up to silence her, all the while keeping my gaze on Edward's liquid-golden eyes. "This doesn't mean that I completely trust you or the Quileute werewolves."

"I understand." Edward spoke with a soft voice that somewhat evoked an image of a rose, having smooth petals, yet beset with thorns. "You don't mind if I return that same sentiment, then?"

I shrugged unconcernedly. I supposed this was the best truce we could manage under the circumstances. Being able to read my thoughts, he understood that I perceived the Nayeh wolves and his carnivorous counterparts as exceedingly dangerous. He just didn't know exactly how much, at least not with the Nayehs. I at least had heard first-hand accounts of their ferocity and had knowledge of how to fight them, all thanks to Slayer training.

"Can you arrange a meeting then?"

"It's too _dangerous_!" Bella continued to object feverishly, her eyes wide with panic. "Edward, talk her out of it!"

"I can arrange a meeting tomorrow, just before dawn," Edward agreed, ignoring Bella's plea. "Same clearing."

"Same clearing," I repeated in confirmation.

"_Ugh_!" Bella screamed as she stomped her foot on the sand. She continued to grunt incoherently even as she turned away and headed back towards the Volvo, one angry step at a time.

Strangely, I felt emotionally lighter – as though a bit of weight had been lifted off my back. Even though the tension of having to work hand in hand with creatures I considered to be my worst enemies was still there, some part of me now felt relieved. Bella still considered me a friend.

"So does this mean you're kicking me out?" I called out after Bella with a much lighter tone. She didn't answer and kept on going. "'Cause I can see if the Manitou Lodge has any vacancies!"

"_I'm not kicking you out!! UGH!!_"

I bit my lower lip to stifle a laugh, and Edward did the same. Our eyes met, and for that moment, I felt a genuine truce between us.


	10. Chapter 9

Northern Lights

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 9 – War Room

Dinner would have been a near-silent affair had it not been for the angry clattering of Bella's utensils as she sawed through her steak with a vengeance. I ignored it and tried to enjoy my medium-rare portion, but Charlie began bouncing his knee impatiently under the table. That was hard to ignore, especially since his knee was jerking against a table leg, causing my steak to vibrate.

"Okay, Bells," Charlie finally said after he placed his fork down and turned to her. "What is it?"

Bella continued to murder her steak without sparing her father a glance. "Nothing."

"Well it doesn't look like 'nothing'," Charlie countered. When it seemed as though Bella was not going to explain her sour mood, he turned to me. "Kayla, what's going on? You two haven't said a word to each other this evening."

I kept my head down but raised my gaze to Bella across the table. She shot me a warning glare and I looked down once again at my food, shrugging in response to Charlie's question. He sighed heavily and shook his head as he stood up from the table, apparently having lost his appetite from an overdose of our wordless conflict. Well, the negative vibes were mostly coming from Bella now, since I was feeling a little better about her not disowning me, being able to keep a closer eye on the Cullens and the Pack, and as an added bonus, maybe getting to see some Nayeh wolves for the first time.

"Whatever it is, girls, you'd better sort things out soon," warned Charlie. He didn't seem too concerned though – Bella and I have had our share of quarrels and friendship-breaks, but we always ended up apologizing to one another and picking up from wherever we left off. I was ready to talk any time, but Bella was still miffed, so I figured I'd give her time to work off the steam a bit.

Charlie headed into the living room, plopped himself on his usual seat right in front of the television, and began his routine flipping of channels. I twisted in my seat, rested my arm on the back of my chair, and studied him. He probably doesn't know a darn thing about Edward, but did he know about Jacob Black and his pack of friends? From what I gathered in Bella's letters, Jacob was Charlie's best friend's son. It only took a few seconds before I decided that Charlie was pretty much ignorant of the existence of supernatural beings in his town. Besides, even if he knew, what would he do? Arrest them? No, he'd probably take Bella far, far away from Forks – away from all the monsters. The Cullens and the Quileute boys _might_ be safe enough, but it was the other kinds – the ones heading out this way – that concerned me.

I blinked and mulled over this thought. Bella would be far from danger.

I swiftly turned to face Bella once again, noting the fixed grimace on her face. I must've stared at her oddly because her expression softened a little, perplexed.

"What?"

"What?" I repeated.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" I asked innocently before stuffing a healthy portion of steak into my mouth.

"I know that look," she accused, waving her fork at me. "It's that look you always have when you're about to do something I wouldn't approve of."

Darn. She knows me too well. If I said a word to Charlie, Bella would never forgive me, and then I would never forgive myself. I guess there goes that idea.

"M nuffinking mfung," I muttered with my mouth full.

Bella grimaced as I swallowed my food. "You mind?"

"I said – I'm not thinking anything," I lied. "I'm just looking forward to tomorrow, I guess." That part was actually true. I wanted to check out the werewolves that existed "only to protect humans" – I never knew such things existed.

The irate look returned on Bella's face, but I could tell she was more worried than angry.

"C'mon, Bells. I really would be helping your friends out by staying. I promise," I whispered, aware that Charlie _could_ be listening.

Bella placed her fork on her plate and leaned closer, her chin nearly touching the food on her plate. "Could we _not_ talk about this right now?"

"Fine," I agreed with a smile as I stood from the table to place my empty plate into the sink.

I made my way into the living room to join Charlie, but had second thoughts when I realized he had settled on ESPN. I was always the type who preferred playing sports over watching them; so instead, I sat on the floor by the television to peruse through their DVD collection on the shelves – except there were none. There maybe were a dozen or so VHS tapes with titles like "Rocky", "Miami Vice", and "Lethal Weapon 2". Judging from the titles, these definitely didn't belong to Bella. VHS…. What century was Charlie living in anyway? I pulled a few tapes out of the shelf to see if there were any films double-stacked in the back, preferably with less testosterone.

Aha! One DVD.

I extracted it from the back. It was still sealed and shrink-wrapped – probably because there wasn't a DVD player to play it in to begin with. Flipping the case to the front, I noted a familiar title – _Crosshairs_. I recalled it being in the theaters a few years ago.

"Hey, Charlie. I didn't know you were into horror flicks."

Charlie's attention was all on the football game so he was only half-listening, if that. "Into what?" he asked absently.

Before I could hand over the DVD to him, Bella came rushing out of the kitchen and snatched the case right out of my hand.

"Um… I bought that." There was a slight discomfort in her voice as she stuffed it back into the shelf. I arched my eyebrows in amusement.

"It's _yours_? Since when do you watch gory stuff?" I laughed. Maybe hanging out with monsters changed her taste in movies.

"What's that?" Charlie's ears seemed to have perked up after 'gory stuff'.

Bella grabbed my wrist and pulled me up to my feet. "It's nothing, dad. Kinda getting late so Kayla and I are gonna go to bed."

"Sure, honey. Good night, girls."

I had a feeling that we weren't going to sleep for another hour, at least. Bella's always been stubborn and I knew she was going to try to talk me into going back to Phoenix.

We barely got to the second floor landing when we heard a knock on the door. Bella started back down the stair and called out to Charlie. "I got it."

"No, no." Charlie appeared from the living room and waved her back upstairs, clearly miffed by the late visitor. "You girls go to bed."

He had barely turned the door knob when he began giving a sermon on visitation etiquette to whoever was outside. "It's ten o'clock! It's common courtesy to-"

Charlie stopped mid-sentence and his jaw dropping slightly. He'd opened the door only a foot so we couldn't see who it was. "May I help you, miss?" offered Charlie in a much friendlier voice.

"Chief Swan?" It was an all too familiar female voice and I felt knots in my stomach. If _she_ was here, the situation was much worse than I had imagined.

"Yes," Charlie confirmed, and he sounded somewhat pleased.

"I'm so sorry to impose on you at this hour. My name is Jessie Blade. I'm a friend of Kayla Whitehorse and I was told that she was staying with you."

Charlie didn't see or hear me zoom down the stairs and I was at his side before he could respond. "I got this, Charlie," I said as I gently nudged him aside. "Sorry about this, Charlie. We'll just talk outside."

"Sure? I mean it's a bit chilly out there. You can talk in the kitchen if you like," he offered.

"No, we'll be fine," I assured him. I looked up the staircase and found Bella staring at me questioningly. I forced a smile then closed the door before turning to Jessie, who looked impeccable and sharp in her gray pant-suit. Her hair, which was usually tied back neatly, was wind-swept, but on her, it looked fashionable. I began walking down the path towards the curb and silently waved her to follow. "What's with the tousled hair? You didn't actually come running from Arizona, did you?"

"No," Jessie retorted. "Corky insisted on renting a convertible and drove it with the top down. In a 60-degree weather!"

"_Corky's _here too?"

"Nash and Linc as well," she said, pointing to a vehicle parked in the shadow of a large tree in front of a neighbor's house. As we approached the car, I was able to identify it as a black Volvo C70 Convertible. Maybe a 2004, but I couldn't be certain. "The kid doesn't even have a license and I would never have allowed him to drive if the other two didn't make some stupid bet with him. Oh, and Angie and Joseph are back at headquarters. They just finished off the last batch of Newborns over in Reno yesterday."

The four of them were here. This wasn't good – it was downright _bad_. Slayers worked on missions in pairs, or in groups of three, so if the four of them came to Forks – knowing that I was already here – it had to mean that we were facing an unusually large, or unusually powerful, group of creatures.

"Is it the Nayeh?" I queried, causing Jessie to momentarily halt before catching up to me.

"You know about them? Did Nash tell you?"

"No, he didn't," I assured her. Nash, Linc, and Corky were already out of the car and leaning against it when Jessie and I reached them. "Hi, guys," I greeted them uncomfortably.

"How did you know about the Nayeh heading out this way then?"

The other three exchanged confused glances before turning to me expectantly. Oh, boy. I wasn't sure if _now_ would be the best time to tell them that Forks was infested with vampires and werewolves, but there was no other way to explain how I'd gained the information without divulging this 'little secret'. They all knew that my sensory abilities as a hunter were as dull as dishwater, so telling them that I sensed the presence of the Nayeh would have been too obvious a lie.

"Can we all get in the car to talk?" I looked at Corky and pointed at the non-existent roof of the car. "With the top up."

We settled into the car – our make-shift War Room – with Corky on the driver's side, Jessie next to him, and I sat at the back flanked by Nash and Linc. I began explaining to them about the meeting in the forest, about how Edward and his family were vegetarian vampires, the special abilities seen in some of them, the Quileute boys, and about the truce formed between the two groups of monsters to protect the people of Forks, La Push, and the surrounding communities.

The four managed to not interrupt me, but the whole time they were listening, all but Jessie wore bewildered expressions, as though I was giving a lecture on quantum mechanics. I imagine the bit about "vegetarian vampires", "werewolves protecting humans", and "truce" confused them the most. I couldn't blame them because even I was still _somewhat_ skeptical. All of these concepts were foreign in our encounter with their kind.

However, I had to believe that they were true, for how else would I explain Bella surviving while living amongst them? At such close proximity?

When I was finally done, the silence continued to stretch on. Corky and Linc looked confounded. I couldn't tell what kind of expression Nash wore – it was uncharacteristically expressionless. Jessie, as usual, appeared thoughtful. She rarely showed discernible emotions and was always level-headed, so much so that sometimes I wondered if she was even human. Right now, all I could see was that she was already trying to form a plan in her head that probably involved eliminating the Nayehs and the unknown vampires, then dealing with the Cullens and Quileute werewolves later.

"So Alice is a vampire, no doubt?" Nash finally broke the thinly stretched silence. I had only mentioned Alice's name once before, but Nash's memory was impeccable.

"Who's Alice?" Linc turned to Nash, astonished that he knew a name.

"Edward's _sister_," Nash retorted, this time with much sarcasm in his voice.

"A vampire with human emotions and human relations…. There's no such thing," Jessie scoffed, still sporting a poker-face.

"I'd definitely never heard of such a thing," Linc added as he crossed his arms in the cramped space at the back. Corky said nothing but he nodded furiously in agreement.

I turned to my right to look at Nash. I wanted to get his opinion on all this but he'd turned away and was now staring out the window, his eyebrows pulling together pensively. I wished I had Edward's ability to read minds. Then again, Nash had the ability to block out intruders from invading his mind so it might have been useless to even try. According to Jessie, even _she_ had a hard time controlling Nash's mind. Once, when they were experimenting with his ability, though her intention was to get him to raise his hand, in the end she was only able to get him to move his pinky finger.

"Well, the Nayeh wolves moved out of Arizona rather quickly when we found one of their lairs on the reservation, not far from Ganado," Jessie began to update me. "I don't think they ever intended to stay very long, regardless."

"Why's that?"

"Nash found out that they were already beginning to move northwest. We didn't pursue them at first since they had stopped hunting for a few days, but when Nash realized that they were moving out of State lines, we all became suspicious."

"Yeah, so Jessie got Linc and me to track the pack," Corky added excitedly. I recalled the two having left a few days before my departure. "They were moving real weird though! At first, they were easy to figure out because the entire pack moved in one direction. But then they'd stop like every few hundred miles, split the group, move on and then stop again all at the same time just to split up again!"

Linc began banging the back of his head lightly against the backseat in annoyance. "We were so distracted by trying to read their motions that it took a while before we realized that there were bloodsuckers on the trail too. _How_ did I miss it?!"

"So anyway," continued Corky, who now had his body completely turned to face us at the back and leaning in with enthusiasm. "The bloodsuckers seemed to move randomly, but then we realized that whenever the Nayeh would stop, they stopped too! We couldn't be certain of their locations because they were just _everywhere_, just like the Nayeh. Is that totally weird or what?!"

"They knew we were tracking them." Nash suddenly spoke and it startled me.

"How would they know that?" I asked. The Nayeh were not exactly known for their intelligence. They were mostly instinctual and greedy for power, but the world had been fortunate enough that they weren't very intellectual creatures. Otherwise, the Slayers would have all been wiped out long ago, and the human race might have followed thereafter.

"I don't know," Nash hissed. "I almost had the answer when -" He gasped lightly and paused, looking as though he was about to say something he wasn't supposed to. "It seems the Nayeh have a built-in defense mechanism to block out others from their minds, too. I hadn't counted on that. All I could gather was that they were headed for Washington."

I was confused. I'd always known that Nash understood werewolf movements and tactics better than anyone else, but I never knew he could read their minds. Was that another special talent that he never bothered to mention?

"But oddly," Linc noted, interrupting my thought. "The pack we were following – the greatest in number – began slowing down around Ashland, just north of the state line between California and Oregon." Linc's voice was serious, something I was not entirely accustomed to. "I'm not certain if they were trying to regroup or what. I'd guess they should be near Olympia by now."

"Okay. Let's back up a bit here," I said as I squirmed in my seat. "If Linc and Corky were the ones tracking, why is it that you two-" I looked from Jessie to Nash. "- are here, too, at the same time?"

Corky beamed. "We told Jess and Nash that the pack was definitely too big to handle on our own, and with the bloodsuckers involved…. So Linc and I managed to sneak past the pack and took a flight out of Medford. They -" Corky jerked his head towards Jessie. "- flew in from Phoenix and we all met up in Seattle, then came straight over here to pick you up so -"

"Time out," I interrupted Corky as I formed a 'T' with my hands, shifting my gaze between Corky and Linc. "Why didn't you guys keep on the trail? The monsters slowed down, didn't they? What was the rush to get here?"

Corky and Linc both looked at Nash at the same time. He was still staring out the window and didn't look like he was concentrating on what Corky had been explaining all this time. Instead, Jessie answered for him.

"Nash and I actually booked a flight right after he got off the phone with you today. He said that he sensed the presence of a vampire when he spoke to you. It was very faint, since it was over phone lines, but he was certain. That was soon after I got word from Linc that the Nayeh and the vampires were already in Oregon. It all seemed _too_ coincidental. We couldn't take any chances if they were going to meet up with more of their kind here in Washington for goodness knows what reason. We had to assume that something was brewing out here – that maybe they were organizing something that would be too big for all of us to handle.

"I _just_ can't imagine the Nayeh and the vampires working together…." Jessie's voice trailed off as she considered this one more time. "But if what Kayla says is true – that the Forks vampires and the Quileute werewolves have a truce…."

"Yes, but only to fight the Nayeh and the normal vampires," I noted to emphasize that the Cullens and the Quileutes were not the enemies here. Oh, wow. Was I defending them now? I wasn't sure if Jessie took my comment in, but Linc and Corky did raise an eyebrow each at me.

"We're going to have to get in on this meeting," Jessie decided, her grey eyes piercing mine.

"I don't think that would be wise, Jess." Nash was paying attention now, and I agreed with his assessment. I wasn't even sure if Sam and his boys would consent to meet with just me – what more an entire team of Slayers. I was certain Edward would do anything to convince Sam to agree to the meeting.

"I'm leading this group," Jessie said forcefully. "We were after the Nayeh and the vampires first, so if they want to powwow and discuss going after them, they'll have to include us."

"Hang on!" I protested. "I'd have to at least let them know first!"

"Kayla, you can't warn them about us coming. Each of us are capable of taking down two monsters at a time – _you_ can take out four or five. I don't think they'd agree to meeting with five Slayers even if you asked them politely, do you?"

"Yes, I _do_," I snapped, surprised at myself that I'd actually trusted the Cullens and the Quileutes on this one. My fellow Slayers all stared at me wide-eyed – even Jessie – and this time, Nash joined in. "I don't _completely_ trust Edward… _yet_, but I think he's a sincere per… vampire. And if he thinks Carlisle and Sam -"

"Carlisle?" There was an undecipherable tone in Nash's voice.

"Yeah… didn't I mention him?"

"No, you haven't given us names, except for Edward, Alice, and Jasper," Nash reminded me. I realized that I'd only referred to the Cullens as 'Edward's family' and Sam's pack as 'the Quileute werewolves'.

"Oh…. Um, okay. Well, Carlisle is kinda like Edward's dad," I explained. "You know, the head of the coven, I suppose."

"Carlisle Cullen."

"Yeah…. Wait, did I mention 'Cullen'?"

I didn't recall mentioning the surname in my explanations either. Jessie remained silent while Corky shrugged his shoulder. Linc merely shook his head.

Nash's eyes bore into mine with an intensity that I hadn't seen in a while. "Kayla, where is this meeting going to take place?"

"Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"If Carlisle is involved, then we should definitely meet with them."

Jessie's cool exterior faltered a little. "You _know_ this vampire?"

"Yes, but it's a long story," Nash responded before turning to face me. "Kayla, just give us the coordinates and we'll make sure to arrive right after you. That way you can tell Carlisle ahead of time that we're coming."

My eyes flickered towards Jessie and I half expected her to blow up at Nash for suddenly playing Alpha Slayer, but she didn't. She simply nodded slowly, prompting me to draw out a map for them. The meeting at twilight was turning out to be a lot more complicated than I wanted it to be.


	11. Chapter 10

UNTITLED

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 10 – Unexpected Acquaintance

I left the house and headed out towards the clearing much earlier than I had intended only because I wasn't able to sleep at all. Perhaps it was due to the excitement of strategizing to fight more vampires and werewolves than I ever had, or the fact that we were about to battle alongside our foes to defeat a common enemy. The thought of Nash being acquainted with Carlisle Cullen added to my curiosity. I thought I knew Nash, but now he seemed like a mystery. It felt as though his acknowledgement of knowing the head of the Cullen coven had negated what I knew of Nash over the last three years. Or had I only uncovered the tip of the iceberg?

The sky was still a dark purple, barely lit by a comforting, orange glow far below the horizon. Unlike the night sky of Phoenix which looked like it was sparsely sprinkled with diamonds, the Forks sky was a much more impressive display of stars and other heavenly bodies.

By the time I'd arrived at the designated meeting spot, Edward, Carlisle, Sam, and Quil were already there. I wasn't surprised not seeing Jacob, even though Bella had mentioned that he was second in command. I knew he had gone scouting with Jasper and probably wasn't back yet. Quil was likely just taking Jacob's place for now.

As I approached them as casually as I could manage to appear, I couldn't help but notice that Sam and Quil wore only cut-offs – no shirt, no shoes. Were they half naked yesterday? I couldn't recall. The confusion and shock of having discovered the little monster secret of Forks had blinded me from the more minor details.

I also noticed that the Cullens and Quileute boys were either twitching or touching their noses as if to rub something irritating under their noses. I _did_ take a shower last night….

"Good morning. Am I late?" I said when I finally reached the spot where they stood. The vampires and werewolves kept at least ten feet away from each other for caution. I decided to become the third point of our triangular formation.

"No, we're just early." Edward smiled courteously. In that smile, I could still see a hint of vigilance. "This is Carlisle Cullen, my father."

I turned to Carlisle and shook his extended hand. Although Bella had explained to me that Carlisle was not Edward's real father, I was taken aback by his youthful exterior. He didn't seem older than twenty-five, even though I knew he was _much_ older than that. I guess that was yet another little detail I missed at the clearing. I also noted that he had that same calmness as Sam – only much less smug. Like Edward, he had perfect, marble-like complexion that emphasized the golden hues of his irises. His blond hair against his pale skin made him look fragile, but at the same time, there was so much wisdom and strength emanating from him. He was definitely unlike the hundreds of vampires I had encountered – he, like Edward and Alice – seemed more… _human_. It was both relieving and disturbing to me.

"Sam Uley and Quil Ateara," Edward introduced the Quileute boys. He gave the underside of his nose a quick rub as he turned to them. "Sam, Quil – this is Kayla Whitehorse."

Sam said nothing but was courteous enough to shake my hand, albeit guardedly. He sported an aura of confidence, wisdom, and leadership – I could easily understand why he was the Alpha male. Quil, on the other hand seemed rather tense and took two steps back, keeping a safe distance between us.

"Are you… Native?" the brawny boy asked tentatively.

"Navajo."

Quil nodded before giving me an once-over. "Slayer, huh? So you kill Cold Ones?" I could tell from his tone that he was trying to sound nonchalant, but his voice cracked, ruining the illusion.

I nodded and replied casually, "I kill werewolves too."

I heard Edward stifle a laugh as Quil choked out a gasp and took another step away from me. I glanced from Carlisle to Sam before clearing my throat. "Before we start discussing whether or not you'd want to work with me, I just wanted you to know that my team arrived last night and would like to be a part of this operation."

"Your _team_?" Edward and Sam chorused in astonishment.

"I didn't, like, call for _back-up_ or anything," I defended myself, thinking they might have gotten the impression that I freaked out about meeting with them on my own. "They were tracking the Nayeh and the other vampires, which led them out here."

"The Nayeh are in Washington already?" Even Cool Cucumber Carlisle sounded uncertain now. "That was fast. I was sure it would be another day or two."

"No, the monsters aren't here yet," I replied, noting my faux-pas only after four displeased pairs of eyes shot in my direction. "Sorry. Um, my team came ahead of them to warn me, but I told them about your plan and they think they ought to be part of it too."

"We don't need you or your team of Slayers!" Quil barked, suddenly having found courage. "This is _our_ land! _Our_ people! We don't need any help from the outside!"

"You don't know what you're getting into." I heard Jessie's controlled voice as she approached from behind.

All heads turned in her direction. She made her way out of the dark forest, with Nash on her left side, and Linc and Corky on the other. All of them already had their leather gloves on.

"Nashoba Harrow. I never thought I'd ever see you again." I whirled around at Carlisle's gentle voice as he addressed Nash. Did he just call him 'Nashoba'?

"Carlisle Cullen," Nash greeted back, extending his hand towards the blond vampire as he approached him. "It's been a while," he added anxiously as he quickly glanced in my direction. Carlisle nodded, gripping Nash's hand tightly and placing his other hand over it. Nash swung his free hand towards Jessie and the others; Carlisle released his grip and slowly took a step towards them. "This is Jessie Blade," said Nash, encouraging Jessie to shake hands with a nod of his head. She kept her distance and nodded a greeting instead, all the while fixing her gaze at a nondescript point somewhere over Carlisle's head. "These are Linc Jackson and Corky Rodriguez."

Neither Linc nor Corky was enthusiastic about getting this close to a vampire, but they were just as curious about the somewhat different appearance and aura that Carlisle had, compared to the usual vampires we came across. When Carlisle approached them in greeting, Corky gripped tightly on the strap of the backpack he was carrying while Linc took a step back.

"I'd shake your hand, but I can't guarantee about these," warned Linc, bringing his gloved hands up for Carlisle to see.

Before Linc had a chance to explain what they were, Carlisle smiled and bowed his head. "Yes, I understand. I suspect the presence of a vampire alone can 'accidentally' trigger them." He seemed to be familiar with our weapons, and this made both Jessie and Linc grimace. Carlisle then introduced Edward, Sam, and Quil, but they all opted to greet each other with simple nods from a distance.

Edward briefly turned away and rubbed his finger under his nose again, as did Sam and Quil. Their incessant wrinkling or pinching of their noses was getting to be a tad annoying. What was up with that?

"How do you know each other?" Sam inquired, echoing – I was sure – all of our thoughts.

"We ran into one another some time ago. It wasn't a very cordial encounter, as you might imagine," Nash replied, laughing lightly as though he were reminiscing about something pleasant. "Well, long story short, I got injured during a hunt and Carlisle rescued me from becoming dinner to a swarm of Newborns. After stitching me up, he kept me company while I healed. I owed him my life so it was only fair that I didn't kill him after recovering from my injuries."

"How come you never told us about this?" Corky sounded miffed. He regarded Nash like a father and thought he knew everything about him. This piece of news definitely did not sit well with him.

"It happened a long time ago – even before Jessie joined the team."

"Still, you shoulda told us you had a _friend_ who's a _bloodsucker_," Corky yipped before turning to Carlisle. "No offense, dude."

"None taken." Carlisle tilted his head slightly in amusement as he watched Corky. I imagined it was because he probably had never been addressed as 'dude' before.

I glanced over at the werewolf boys who remained silent and observant. I felt the familiar, eerie sensation once again as I watched Sam and Quil shift their weight from one leg to the other in complete synchronization.

"You shoulda told _me_ at least," growled Corky. He was facing Nash, but he kept his eyes downcast. I understood how he felt; only it was probably worse for him. He didn't even wait for Nash to respond to his accusation. Corky swiftly whirled on the spot, dropped his backpack, and dashed back in the direction they came from.

"Corky!" I yelled after him. I was about to run after him when I felt a firm grip on my shoulder.

"I'll go talk to him," Nash said, heaving a deep sigh before turning to Jessie. "I'll see you back at the Inn. Work something out with Carlisle and-" He briefly looked at the Alpha wolf. "Sam, was it?"

Sam nodded slowly, his dark eyes still teeming with caution.

"Carlisle, we'll catch up later." Nash jerked his head upward, and Carlisle acknowledged him back with a single nod.

Edward eyed Nash warily.

When Nash disappeared into the woods, I nervously turned to Jessie and finally saw a flicker of discernable emotion on her features. Although her face was smooth and her lips relaxed, her grey eyes were livid. She turned in Carlisle's direction, but her line of sight traveled to some point next to his ear. I was certain that Carlisle could see Jessie's discomfort with looking at him.

Jessie's lips moved slightly. She was likely forcing herself to address the blond vampire but no words came out. I couldn't be one hundred percent certain whether her anger stemmed from the fact that Nash was now giving out the orders, or that we were cornered into working with vampires and werewolves.

I wished Carlisle or Sam would say something – anything to break the uneasy stillness, but they both kept their gaze on Jessie, who couldn't even bring herself to look at either of them in the eye. It was the first time I had ever seen Jessie this uncertain of taking action. I glanced at Linc, but I knew that he wasn't going to make the first gesture towards cooperation. He only followed orders from Jessie.

It was left up to me. I could kill Nash for putting me in this position. "C- Carlisle?" I croaked out.

The older vampire redirected his attention to me. He had a half-smile that was oddly comforting. I had to think of something to say, but my mind kept flipping through so many possible opening lines and it couldn't settle on one thing. I noticed Edward, Sam and Quil staring at me now. I had to speak up.

"How is… Emmett?"

Oh, slick opener there, Kayla.

"He's fine," Carlisle answered as his smile broadened warmly. "He's a sturdy boy, so he healed quickly."

"I'm sorry I… almost killed him."

"You were just doing your job," he offered to comfort me. "No real damage done."

Quil quietly whistled, sounding like he was impressed. Jessie merely shot daggers at me, and I knew right then that her anger was definitely caused by our having to work with the monsters. As far as she was concerned, there were only two fundamental rules when dealing with a vampire or a werewolf.

Rule Number One – Don't try to befriend it.

Rule Number Two – Kill it.

I'd already broken both of them. I should have felt guilty about this, but strangely, I didn't. Maybe it had something to do with my lack of enthusiasm to kill anything – despite the fact that I was good at it – but somewhere within me, I felt a kind of relief. Again, I had no idea where that was coming from, especially since killing monsters was all I had known and done for the past three years.

"I think we should get started," Edward finally said, taking slow steps towards Jessie. Carlisle subtly bent his elbow as Edward was about to pass him, nudging him on his side. I might have missed that faint gesture if I had been paying less attention, but it was definitely to keep Edward from getting too close to Jessie. Carlisle seemed to understand that our team leader was not quite ready to accept them as allies.

"The Nayeh and vampires are heading this way as we speak." Jessie's voice was monotonous, just as she usually sounded when giving strategic explanations. She picked up a long, sturdy stick, knelt down, and began drawing a rough map of the western United States on the ground, marking a small 'X' where Forks is supposed to be. Jessie then scribbled 'Kingman, AZ' on the ground and jabbed the stick into the earth underneath the writing. "Linc and Corky were able to determine that both the pack and vampire groups were splitting up every few hundred miles."

She then drew several lines in varying directions from there to show how the groups were dividing themselves.

"Splitting up? At the same time?" There was a hint of consternation and confusion in Carlisle's voice. Jessie raised her chin up and finally met his gaze before slowly tilting her head towards Sam. He was still keeping his distance but was now close enough to study the map.

"We're not sure why they're behaving like this," said Jessie as she continued to draw more lines, spreading the monsters' coverage area to the north and to the west. "Linc and Corky followed the largest pack to Ashland, and Nash tracked the rest of them to these areas." Jessie tapped the end of the stick on at least ten different areas all over Oregon and Washington.

It was my turn to be confused. How was it possible for Nash to track all of those groups simultaneously? Did it have something to do with his being able to read their minds?

Jessie's voice spun me back to the present. "It seems each pack had a number of vampires moving with them."

"_With_ them?" Sam exclaimed. Whether he was simply shocked, or revolted too, I couldn't tell.

"We don't know if they're working together or if the vampires are stalking the Nayeh wolves," Jessie answered patiently. "Again, we've never seen these types of movements in _your_ kind before. Maybe you can explain it."

Carlisle rubbed his chin in thought but shook his head. "No, I've no idea what it could mean. Nashoba has absolutely no clue?"

It took a split second for Jessie to recognize the unfamiliar name that Carlisle called Nash. "No, the Nayeh seem to have the ability to block out mental intruders."

"Ah, that _is_ highly inconvenient," Carlisle mused.

"That guy has the ability to read minds?" Quil snarled questioningly.

"Just werewolves," Linc growled in return. "He's battled werewolves more than any other Slayer in the country, so he understands them better than anyone else."

Sam jerked his head to one side. "What does battling have anything to do with reading our minds?"

Linc opened his mouth to retort, but quickly snapped it shut. He turned to me but I simply shrugged. I wasn't sure if any of us had an answer – we just took it for granted that Nash was the werewolf expert and that his abilities just came with that.

"Let's not get into this right now," said Carlisle as he got on one knee to examine the map on the ground. "We ought to keep around-the-clock patrol around Forks and the surrounding areas."

"We can split our jurisdictions," Jessie suggested. "We don't want any 'accidental conflicts' between our teams."

"Good idea," noted Sam as he stepped closer. "We'll patrol the areas around the coastlines up to Neah Bay, and inland up to Beaver – just in case they circle to the north."

"Good. We'll take the area south of that up to the Clearwater region," Carlisle noted. "And you, Jessie?"

I couldn't tell if she actually cringed at the sound of her name. She circled a large area east of Forks before calmly looking up to Carlisle. "We'll take to the Olympic mountains. That way we can -"

"Shh!" Linc suddenly hissed in alarm as he placed one hand on Jessie's shoulder and pressing the index finger of the other hand against his lips. The rest of us turned to him, then shifted our eyes rapidly to scan our surroundings. We couldn't see anyone around, but we instantly sensed that there was someone else outside of our congregation.

Quil began sniffing the air and twitched his nose as though he was smelling something familiar. Linc took a step towards a thick tree behind us, his claws now jutting out of his leather gloves. I heard Edward suddenly gasp, and he darted past Linc and jumped over a shrub in a pouncing motion to get to the back of the tree.

"Edward!" I heard a girl protest. "Let me go!"

I gasped as I recognized Bella's voice.

Edward reappeared from the dense greenery, cradling Bella in his arms as she waved her limbs frantically, insisting that he put her down. Maybe it was her down-feather vest and her rubber boots – or maybe it was the protective way that Edward held her – that made her appear somewhat smaller and rounder. I chuckled at the sight; she looked like a little girl having a fit in her father's arms.

"What's _she_?" Linc asked, tilting his head sideways towards me.

"She's human. That's Bella," I answered, covering my mouth with my fist as Bella continued to pound Edward's chest in futility.

"That's -? What the heck is she doing here?"

"Well, that's Bella for you," I chortled.

Edward finally set his fiancée on the ground, and Bella looked as though she was going to give him an ear-full when she noticed all of us staring at her. She blushed and seemed like she didn't know where to look, so she opted on Carlisle.

"I'm sorry…. It's just that… well…."

"You really shouldn't be here," said Carlisle as he approached Bella and placed a hand gently on her head. "You have nothing to worry about, Bella. This time around, we have Slayers on our side. We're much more prepared now than we were the last time."

"The last time?" Jessie turned her icy gaze at Sam as she stood up.

"We had an encounter with another group of Cold Ones not too long ago," Sam explained. "So we banded together and got rid of them. They were inexperienced and there were enough of us to fight them."

"Newborns," Linc muttered under his breath with a tinge of devilish delight in his voice. Linc had always enjoyed slaying Newborns – probably because they were more challenging to kill due to their sheer, brute strength; but mostly because there were no rules about hunting them. With mature vampires, there were Codes to follow. Lucky for the Cullens, and Bella, too, I suppose.

"Were they just after food? It's odd that more are coming this way. I mean, Forks isn't exactly an eat-all-you-can type of place." I saw Bella's appalled expression but I ignored it. "I don't know about the Nayeh, but maybe more vampires are coming back for whatever it was they wanted the last time?" I suggested.

"They were after me before." Bella's voice was heavy and grave. When I turned to her, I was almost certain that the blood had completely drained from her face. I wasn't sure if I had any in mine either as I rushed to her side. So… Bella wasn't exactly free from danger, living amongst them!

"_Why_?" It was all I could manage to growl through gritted teeth as I glared at Edward. Bella quickly grabbed my arms, anger flowing through the tightening of her grip. I kept my eyes on Edward. _This is your fault, isn't it?_

Edward's topaz eyes showed no resentment or retaliation to my mental accusation. There was only guilt, and a sadness that completely defused my anger. His hand slowly circled Bella's waist and he gently pulled her towards him. She, in turn, turned her face and buried it in his chest, wrapping her small arms around him as though her life depended on it. As Edward slowly raised his free hand towards the back of Bella's head, I noticed it quiver slightly. It was as though I was watching his movement in slow motion, and that, combined with the wistful look in his eyes said more than he could possibly express in words to me. He was so gentle and so careful when he held her. His self-control and desire to keep her safe in his arms emanated from every movement of his arm down to his finger tips.

There was no way to fight Edward any more – not for me.

"We're not sure if Bella is the target this time around," Carlisle spoke suddenly. "In fact, I'm almost certain it has noting to do with her. We'll start the patrolling as soon as we all set up our shifts."

"What about the two who went scouting the areas to the south?" Jessie asked, recalling it from our earlier conversation. "When will they be back?"

"The day after tomorrow," Sam answered. "We should all meet again to share their report."

Carlisle and Jessie nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Wednesday at six in the morning then?" Sam offered. Again, Carlisle and Jessie consented.

"We're staying at the Dew Drop Inn if you need to get a hold of us," Jessie notified the other two leaders. I could tell she was uneasy about divulging this information to them. In return, Carlisle quickly drew out a map to their home on a piece of paper, scribbled his phone number, and gave them to her.

"I don't carry a phone," Sam said coolly when Jessie turned to him.

"What if there are changes?" I asked.

Sam's dark yet calm gaze landed on me, and it sent shivers down my spine. There was something about his coolness that was more frightening than outright demonic anger.

"I'm sure we'll find a way to communicate." Even his tone – cool and smug – definitely carried a sense of foreboding. If we were to get along, I knew that he was one werewolf I was not going to want to tick off.

I pulled out a handkerchief and fountain a pen from my back pocket, and then bent down to open Corky's backpack.

"That's a great idea, Kayla," commented Edward as he slowly released Bella. I wished he'd stop doing that – reading my mind without permission. "Sorry," he added.

"Edward, will you _please_ just stop it?" I muttered. My hand raked through the contents of the bag until it found Corky's baseball cap. "Aha!"

"_What_ are you doing?" Linc said curiously as he folded his dark arms over his broad chest.

"Give me your bandana, Linc. You have it on you, don't you?" I said, extending my hand out to him. "And Jessie, give me that scarf you have around your waist."

Jessie hesitated for a brief moment before her grey eyes lit up in understanding. "Excellent idea, Kayla," she commended me without so much as showing any awe in her tone.

Linc handed over his bandana, and Jessie, her scarf. I placed all the items on the scarf and wrapped them up. "The pen is Nash's," I told Sam as I handed them over to him. He arched an eyebrow doubtingly at first, but then he, too, caught my drift and nodded.

"I'll have the rest of our group become familiarized with your scents," said Sam as he took the bundled scarf.

The sky began to lighten a bit, and as though it was some kind of cue, Sam and Quil took off and disappeared between the trees. Jessie and Linc picked up Corky's bag, bowed their heads lightly at the Cullens, and headed out as well.

"I'll take the girls home," Edward offered as he turned to Carlisle.

"It was – an interesting morning," Carlisle addressed me. 'Interesting' might have been an understatement. Too much had happened in such a short time frame that I wasn't sure how to feel. I was almost certain the others felt the same way too. "I will see you on Wednesday then."

"Yes," I croaked out. "Um… It was nice meeting you."

Carlisle's smile was warm once again – so much so that I almost forgot he was a vampire… until his form zapped towards the dense forest and disappeared. I turned my attention to Bella just as Edward hoisted her up in his arms. She looked at me sheepishly – probably because she knew what I was going to say.

"Isabella Marie Swan," I said in the maternal tone that Bella disliked.

"I know, I know! I should try to stay out of trouble instead of going out and looking for it." Edward laughed lightly as he readjusted her in his arms.

"Seriously! If Edward hadn't gotten to you first, Linc might have mistaken you for a _carnivorous_ vampire and slashed you to bits!"

"_I'm sorry_! I'll try to be more careful next time!" Bella huffed.

"_Next_ time?" I exclaimed incredulously.

"That's Bella for you," Edward chortled as he winked at me. I shook my head hopelessly and exhaled with a laugh of my own.

"I guess she was destined to find herself a vampire to marry," I jested. "And a Slayer and a werewolf for best friends."

Edward's golden eyes suddenly narrowed and appeared anxious. He glanced down and found Bella curled up in his arms. There was a melancholy in her expression that soon made me regret bringing Jacob Black up, now that I understood why he'd disappeared in the first place. I wasn't sure what to make of Bella's feelings for Jacob. After all, she had Edward.

We dashed through the forest and headed towards the house in silence. It was only after we got home and Edward placed Bella back on her feet outside her house that he spoke.

"Jacob's back."

My jaw dropped and my eyes widened as I gawked at Edward. Why was he telling her now? My question was soon answered by the relieved yet excited look on Bella's face.

"He's back? _Really_? When?!"

"Yesterday. He was at the initial meeting."

I almost felt bad for Edward with the way Bella sounded so ecstatic at this piece of news. It was annoying, actually. She'd told me about her unconditional love for Edward, and I'd finally accepted that – though a vampire – he truly loved her too. Yet here she was, acting like a dog wagging its tail at the knowledge that its master had just come back.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bella said with much accusation in her tone.

"I wasn't sure how you would take his return," Edward seemed to answer truthfully. "You were so hurt by his leaving, and I thought that his return might do the same – you know, upset you, since he left quite abruptly."

Bella's expression was a mélange of guilt and irritation. She probably wanted to chew Edward's head off about keeping this news from her, but at the same time, she likely felt guilty about making Edward feel as though he had to tread carefully around her sensitive emotions. A heavy air descended quite suddenly, and my hand automatically searched for the door knob.

I was now officially feeling like a third wheel… or a fourth. "Um, I'm going to go ahead and rest up a bit before heading out to meet with Jessie and those guys." I wasn't sure if Edward or Bella heard me at all. "You know… to discuss shifts… and stuff."

Bella definitely wasn't listening, but Edward nodded an acknowledgement. I felt a huge relief as soon as I entered the house. Relationships were complicated as it was, but with monsters thrown into the mix, it must be all the more complicated for Bella. As annoyed as I felt about her ambiguous feelings for Jacob Black, I felt bad for her. After my devastating heart break with Nash, maybe it was a good thing that I'd sworn off boys and relationships.


	12. Chapter 11

Northern Lights

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 11 – Conversations with Edward Cullen

Bella was still asleep at nine o'clock when I returned from a brief Slayer meeting. I suspected she was going to be out for a bit longer. Fatigue should have led me straight to my room and knocked me out for several hours, but instead, I went to the kitchen to prepare Charlie's favorite breakfast – bacon and sausages – and fixed a sandwich for him to take to work.

I tried going over what was discussed at the meeting to ensure I knew where to start patrolling at sundown, but much of the discussion was a blur. I'd only slept a few hours, so I was hardly to be blamed for not having paid a lot of attention to the discussion of our shifts. I had yawned half the time and my hand suffered slaps from Jessie the other half of the time in order to regain my attention. We'd settled on Jessie and Corky taking the day-time shift while Nash, Linc and I took the night shift, when it was more likely the Nayeh and the vampires would move. We'd also discussed our patrol trails, trying to avoid – as much as possible – the borders with the Pack's and Cullen's jurisdictions.

I'd noticed that the air between Nash and Corky had _somewhat_ returned to normal, but there was still an uneasiness on Corky's part. Poor kid. He'd been adopted and raised by Nash since he was eleven years old. Although it was for the purpose of training Corky, who'd displayed early Slayer potential, Nash treated him like a son. Corky had once told me that Nash kept nothing from him.

I left Charlie's sandwich on the breakfast table, went back outside and sat in front of the house, lazily watching the neighbors – what few there were – rushing into their cars and heading out to do their daily routines.

Routine. Now there was a word that no longer existed in my life. I watched with envy as they all hurried off. They didn't have to worry about facing supernatural demons. They didn't have to feel torn between not wanting to kill anything and wanting to slay monsters. It was so contradictory that I often wondered if I was right in the head. The idea of ending a life had always bothered me, but knowing that I was making the world a safer place brought exhilaration and excitement. That was how I felt slaying werewolves. Vampires were different – or they used to be. They were the undead and had no business prowling the earth, but thanks to Edward and his family, I now had to suffer that clashing feeling I had that came with slaying werewolves.

I gently rocked myself in hopes that I would fall asleep on the steps, and with the dreary skies, I eventually might have succeeded if the revving of a silver Volvo hadn't shaken me to complete awareness. I looked up and saw Edward's car slow down to a stop at the curb.

Wow. Edward and Bella were just inseparable.

Edward killed the engine and stepped out, his fashionably messy, bronze hair tousled by the light wind. This morning, he wore a trendy, tan sport coat over a tweed sweater and a pair of khakis. As usual, he dressed impeccably. It was not a good thing that I was getting accustomed to his perfection – it certainly made other boys seem dull… except for Nash, _maybe_. But there was something slightly different in his overall appearance now. I couldn't be certain if it was because my distrust for him had just about vanished completely, but his expression as he stared straight at me was more unguarded – like he trusted me a little more, too.

"Haven't slept much?" he asked as he approached me. "You look like a zombie."

"Oh, ha ha. You're funny," I said, my sarcasm diluted by my tired voice. "What are you doing here? Can't stay away from Bella?"

"No, I can't."

"Oh." His candor prevented me from making any more cheeky remarks.

"Well, actually, I have some business with Charlie today."

"Are you going to ask for Bella's hand in marriage?" I asked with a light laugh. I'd meant for it to be a joke, but Edward merely smiled awkwardly. "You _are_? Does Bella know about this?"

I bet she doesn't, I thought with a sigh. Surprises like this never sat well with that girl. And how would Charlie take this? He wouldn't be too thrilled either, what with Bella being only eighteen. I looked up at Edward, expecting him to agree with my thoughts, but he simply sat next to me on the short flight of steps and clasped his hands over his knees.

"Did you hear me?" I asked uncertainly.

"Yes. And no, she doesn't know about this yet," he answered sheepishly. "I suppose I should tell her of my plans first."

"No, no. I meant about Charlie."

"What about Charlie?"

My eyes narrowed, perplexed. "Um… didn't you hear my thoughts?"

Edward chortled and shook his head. "No, I've blocked your thoughts out since you weren't happy about me reading them."

"Oh. Um… thanks, I guess." It was my turn to feel sheepish. Edward really was a gentleman. "I was thinking Charlie might not be too thrilled. But I suppose if the wedding is to take place within two months, you'd have to ask him at some point before that."

"Yes. And today is as good as any," Edward pondered loudly. He ran his long fingers through his hair, and although I was certain it was just my imagination, it looked as though tiny diamonds flew out of his shiny, bronze locks.

"Does your whole family do that?" I asked absently. I blushed as soon as the words tumbled out of my mouth.

"Do what?"

"Um… you know. That- that-" I leaned back and waved my hand in a circular motion towards his flawless face. "that- _dazzling_ thing you do. The vampires I've come across were all beautiful, but they never did the dazzling thing."

Edward cocked his head to one side and his brows furrowed. "What dazzling thing? Bella had mentioned that too, a few years ago, but I don't get it."

"Never mind," I mumbled uncomfortably. "No wonder Bella's just completely blinded by you."

"She certainly is," he agreed solemnly, much to my surprise. "I tried to discourage her and pushed her away in the past, but nothing seemed to work. I've given up." The corner of his mouth hitched up in a doleful half-grin.

"You tried to _discourage_ her?" I had been convinced that Edward was the one who seduced her on purpose for some reason. After all, that's what vampires did.

"I _am_ a vampire after all," Edward reminded me in jest, his eyes looking far into the distance. "I can only spell trouble for her, and I wanted her far from harm."

"And now you're marrying her. That makes sense."

Edward sighed as he turned to face me. "I left her once, and I can't even begin to explain how much that hurt the both of us. I don't even want to think about it. I decided then that I was never going to leave her again until she ordered me away."

His expression suddenly oozed with sheer ardor and it made me a bit uncomfortable. I couldn't remember if I felt that way about Nash. Maybe I hadn't been in love with him as much as I thought I had been….

"Oh, by the way, have you all decided on your patrol shifts?" I asked, eager to change the subject. "I was a bit worried that your other family members hadn't had a chance to meet us-"

"Don't worry about that. Carlisle and I will take turns patrolling the border areas," Edward assured me. "Emmett and Rosalie will take the night shifts while Jasper and Alice will be out and about during the day. Esme, my mother – she'll be staying at home."

"I haven't met Rosalie or Esme yet," I sighed as I rested my chin on my hand. I was surprised that I wanted to get to know the rest of the Cullens.

Edward laughed lightly. "Well, I'm sure you'll like Esme, but I don't know about Rosalie. She's a little upset with you."

"Me? _Why_?"

"You almost killed Emmett, and he's her partner."

"Partner?" The confusion in my voice and expression had to be obvious. "Aren't you all _supposedly_ siblings?" I felt foolish asking about a vampire's familial relationships, but I was curious.

"No – Jasper and Rosalie, who are _supposedly_ twins, are _supposedly_ relatives from Esme's side, so their surname is Hale. Alice, Emmett, and I are _supposedly_ adopted, so we're Cullens."

I laughed at his explanation, but it made better sense. Somewhat.

"In reality," Edward continued. "Jasper is Alice's partner while Emmett is Rosalie's."

"And you're Bella's partner," I said in understanding. Edward smiled and nodded. I laughed once again, but then I quickly paled at the thought of Rosalie.

"Oh, gee. Maybe I should stay away from Rosalie then," I gulped. After all, there was some kind of saying about a woman's wrath – it had to be worse with a female vampire.

Edward flashed his teeth in a teasing grin. "That might be a good idea. Although, I'm sure she'll eventually get over it. Eventually."

For all I knew, 'eventually' could have meant 'in a few centuries'. I decided not to think about it too much. In the worst case scenario, I knew I could walk away alive if it was just her. The only problem was whether or not Bella or the Cullens would come after me later on. I wasn't sure if a plea of 'self-defense' would earn me a pardon in this case.

Edward gave me a ten-minute version of his family dynamics, but he was always careful not to reveal _too much_ about each of the members in his coven. It was fascinating nonetheless. I had never known of such a large coven living together harmoniously and with human relationships with one another. Most covens were made up of four or less vampires – save the Volturi – and even then, they usually dwindled down to two or one vampire due to internal conflicts.

He then went on to tell me about the Quileute pack, which he seemed a lot more open to discuss. That, too, captivated me. I knew that werewolves were able to communicate with each other through their minds, but I never knew that they could actually _feel_ what the other wolves in the pack were feeling – all at once. Like a single mind and heart, with multiple bodies. I almost wished I had a bucket of popcorn as Edward spoke of them.

"I would have thought that Nash had already explained all this," he said, astonished by my ignorance.

I blushed, although it didn't show very well with my dark complexion. "Well, Nash _is_ our werewolf expert, but I suppose there are some things he doesn't know," I defended my mentor. "We're pretty certain that Nayeh werewolves can't do that – they just communicate with each other mentally. Skinwalkers – the _regular_ kinds – can't even do _that_. I guess the Quileute werewolves are a different species altogether."

Edward raised a curious eyebrow at me but opted not to comment. Now I _really_ wished I could read his mind.

He mirrored my posture and rested his chin on his hand – a mischievous smile dancing upon his lips. "I guess Nash hasn't told you then."

"Told me what?" I asked defensively.

"You should ask him. If he hasn't told you, then I'm certainly not at liberty to say anything."

_Ugh_. I rolled my eyes in frustration. Why doesn't he just spit it out if he's going to bring it up in the first place? Maybe I didn't like Edward after all.

"Charlie's up now," Edward announced as he turned his head diagonally over his shoulder towards the second floor of the house, as if he could see through the walls and ceiling. "He wants bacon and sausages for breakfast. Carnivores," he added with a shake of his head.

I chuckled at Edward's somewhat twisted sense of humor. If one was able to get past his flaw of being a vampire, it was much easier to like him.

"So- you're really going to ask him?" I asked uncertainly.

"Do you think it's a bad idea?"

"As long as Bella knows ahead of time, I suppose it's okay. I wouldn't do anything before talking to her though," I suggested. "She doesn't have to agree with it – just as long as you tell her."

Edward sported a curious smile. "And you don't think she'll kill me if she said 'no' and I went against her wishes?"

"_Kill_ you?"

"Figuratively speaking."

"Nah," I retorted with a shrug. "She'll be mad, but she'll forgive you. It's not like you're asking her permission to commit a crime." Although the old Bella would have thought it a crime to get married so young, that didn't seem to be the case anymore – not so much, at least. "Your concern should be Charlie's reaction."

"Ah. That."

"Yes. That."

Edward bit on his lower lip as his eyes shifted away in thought. I stared at him – not from being dazzled but rather in fascination, wondering how it was possible for a vampire to be so 'unvampirical'. That wasn't a real word, but the reality of Edward seemed to have forced it into existence. For me, anyway. I was certain that Jessie and the rest of them felt differently.

"You're right. I'll wait until I tell Bella first then," he finally decided.

"Of course I'm right. And it's not a crime to get married."

Just as I'd uttered the last few words, the door behind us clicked open.

"Who's getting married?" Charlie asked absentmindedly as he slipped his arm through his holster strap, clutching a paper bag containing his lunch. Edward's shoulders flinched, and for a split second, there was a look of surprise on his face. I imagined that it was because he'd been distracted and hadn't sensed Charlie approaching the door.

I remained seated and glanced up. Charlie, too, seemed to have been too distracted to notice Edward at first - and when he finally did, his lips tautened. They barely moved as he greeted his soon-to-be monster-in-law. "Good morning, Edward."

Edward quickly stood up and faced Charlie, his expression smooth and friendly. "Good morning, Charlie. I just came by to ask Bella out to the movies."

"Which one are you watching?" Charlie asked with an edge in his voice. It seemed he wasn't all too impressed with Dazzle Boy here. The idea of Edward successfully asking Charlie for his daughter's hand in marriage was beginning to look more and more like a losing bet.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

I coughed loudly in order to disguise my laugh. How Edward was able to say "Harry Potter" with such a straight face in itself was comical.

Charlie snorted. "Isn't that for kids? Magic and witches. You're not into that fantasy mumbo jumbo, are you?" His eyes narrowed at Edward suspiciously, the corners of his mouth tugging down in a disapproving frown. I bit my lip to further stifle my laugh and my abdominal muscles were beginning to ache from trying to keep from giggling.

"It's just a blockbuster movie I thought Bella might enjoy." Edward assured Charlie with a calm smile, "I don't believe in wizards or mythical creatures."

I crossed my arms over my knees and buried my face in the space between my arms and chest, quietly hyperventilating, knowing that I wouldn't be able to contain my laughter much longer.

"What's wrong, Kayla?" Charlie sounded concerned. With my trembling shoulders, I must've looked like I was crying. Well, I was definitely tearing.

"Tummy ache," I croaked out as I subtly wiped the tears that clung to the side of my eyes. "I'll be fine."

"Well alright," he muttered. He walked past Edward while unhooking his key ring from a belt loop. "You bring her straight home after the movie then," he instructed Edward sternly.

"I will," Edward promised with a beguiling smile.

The cramp in my stomach was slowly subsiding and I sighed in relief as Charlie made his way to his cruiser. Then, as though he'd just remembered something, he quickly turned around and rounded his eyes at Edward before eyeing me apprehensively.

"Who's getting married?"

I dared not look at Edward and I stumbled for a quick answer. I was usually good at lying, but with preparation. "I am. I mean, _was_," I blurted out in a panic.

"What?!" Charlie stuffed his keys into his pocket and hustled back to where we were. I glanced up at Edward - his eyebrows raised over his now amused eyes – before returning my gaze to Charlie. _He_ was definitely not amused. Although I tried to think of something to follow up this lie, only a string of four-letter expletives ran through my mind.

"Kayla Ann Whitehorse." I cringed as he addressed me by my full name – it was usually followed by a scolding that always made me feel like I was five. Dad used to do it and now Charlie was taking over. "What exactly do you mean by you _were_ going to get married?!"

"I- Well- I sort of was, but not anymore," I explained, scrambling for another lie – at the same time trying to figure out how I would do damage control later on, if I was discovered. "We decided that it wasn't the right time-"

"Who is this boy? Annie never mentioned this."

"Um, we never got to the point of telling mom. We ended it before then," I said quickly, as though the faster I said it, the truer it would be. "Please don't tell mom, Charlie! I mean, I was just a kid and-"

"You still _are_," he interjected. Charlie had always been like a second father, and I appreciated him for that, but right now, I was just getting annoyed.

"Well, okay," I grudgingly agreed. "Just, _please_ don't tell mom."

Charlie studied my expression carefully with his cop-trained eyes. But even he was fooled by my expert acting – I'd had three years of experience after all. Charlie's features softened and he shook his head disapprovingly. "I don't like this," he muttered. "But I won't tell her."

I jumped up and wrapped my arms around Charlie's neck, causing him to bend forward involuntarily and drop his lunch. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Whoa, Kayla, watch the gun!" Charlie hurriedly pried my arms loose and readjusted his holster and shirt collar. I stepped back, glancing up at him from downcast eyes and flashing a timid smile as I picked up the paper bag and handed it back to Charlie. I heard Edward clear his throat – I was almost certain he was finding my performance entertaining. "Tell Bella I'll be home late," said Charlie as he made his way back to his car. "Oh, and breakfast was good!"

"Have fun at work!" I waved, sporting a grin that was beginning to hurt my face. Maybe I was overdoing it. The cruiser backed out onto the paved road and sped away into the distance. I quickly lowered my hand and shifted my eyes sideways to Edward. "You owe me."

"Yes," he agreed with an amused smile. "That was quite a performance. Thank you."

"Why don't you come inside?" I offered, hopping over the steps to get to the door. "I can go wake her up if you like."

"No, let her rest," said Edward, already turning to head back to his car. "I'll just go get those movie tickets and come back after that."

"Okay, catch you la-" I was jolted when I looked past Edward at a figure that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, slowly pacing in front of Edward's car and eyeing me gingerly. He reminded me of a ravenous tiger walking back and forth in its cage, deciding whether or not it should pounce.

Emmett? Did he come here for a payback?

A second figure appeared – much smaller and frailer – whom I quickly recognized as Alice. But the vivaciousness was not there. She looked utterly grief-stricken, and if it were possible for a vampire to shed tears, I was certain that Alice would have been crying.

Edward was already making his way towards them, and I hurried from behind.

"That's not possible! Try again!" Edward's voice was tense as his gaze locked on Alice. Emmett kept his eyes on me, his lips pulling back over his teeth in a snarl. "Emmett, get over it. She's alright!"

A low growling sound emitted from Emmett's throat as he leaned against the silver Volvo and crossed his arms irately.

"I- tried… I tried so many times!" wailed Alice, her voice trembling with fear. I remained still behind Edward, confused as to what was transpiring. "I can't _see_ him! I just… couldn't-"

Alice's voice hitched and she couldn't continue.

Edward circled an arm around his sister's shoulder, rubbing it to comfort her – only I could see the fear in his eyes. "Don't worry. Jasper's not dead. He's not dead."


	13. Chapter 12

Northern Lights

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 12 – The Gathering of Volcanoes

Night shifts were brutal. My internal clock was now officially screwed up since I had to sleep during the days. Nash, Linc, and I ran through the Olympic Mountains from five o'clock in the evening to five o'clock in the morning – searching for any signs or trails of vampires and mutant Skinwalkers, the Nayeh. It had only been two nights, but I had still expected to come across something. _Anything_. Even Nash had not been able to sense the creatures, which meant that if they were out there, they were nowhere remotely near the mountains. It was good news to me, but not-so-good for Linc who was itching to slay something.

It would have been prudent for me to have gone straight to the clearing after the shift, but I went home for a quick bite to eat, which was a huge mistake.

"Oh c'mon, Bella! _Please_ don't do this!" I begged in frantic whispers, so as not to wake Charlie. Bella, who promptly ignored me, was already well on her way out of the door. I quietly shut the door behind me and chased Bella as she pulled her truck keys from her overcoat pocket. "Bella, Edward is _not_ going to be happy about this!"

"Oh, he's got _you_ playing bodyguard for me now?" Bella retorted without looking back. "Alice usually has that job – that's odd." She paused and finally wheeled around and stomped her way back to me. "Where _is_ Alice? I haven't seen her around here in two days."

"How should I know where Alice is?" My eyes shifted to the side for a split second before I quickly looked back at her.

"Kayla, you _do_ know something. You did that eye thing - you're hiding something from me."

Dang! This was the downside of our long relationship – it was difficult to hide anything from Bella because she'd always been good at reading my gestures. She is possibly the only person on the planet who I'll have a hard time fooling.

"Look, you really should stay at home. If Charlie wakes up and finds the both of us gone-" It was a feeble attempt at derailing the subject.

"Answer me, Kayls!" Bella's voice almost seemed to echo through the dawn air.

"You're in a mood. Is it because your date with Edward yesterday got cancelled?"

Bella's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "Kayla Whitehorse, you tell me right this instant. Did something happen to Alice?"

"No," I answered truthfully. "Alice is fine."

"But…?" Bella trailed off as a cue for me to continue the sentence.

"But _nothing_!" I was now more conscious about my eye-shifting and locked my gaze on Bella. Worrying about whether Jasper was dead or alive was the last thing Bella needed. I prayed, for her sake, that Jasper would return in one piece. If he didn't, I was going to have to answer to her if she found out I'd kept this from her. "Look, just stay here. Otherwise we're going to have a lot to explain to Charlie later on. Don't worry – we're all just going to have a quick meeting to brief each other."

There was a clear hesitation and anxiety in her brown eyes. Who could blame her? This wasn't going to be just a meeting with Carlisle, Sam, and Edward – all of whom had proven abilities to control their innate desire to kill each other, us included. This gathering was much bigger - the entire Cullen clan and the wolf pack… and five Slayers. I was certain that despite the temporary truce amongst all three groups, it was like an active volcano just waiting to erupt. One wrong move by any party could wreak havoc.

"Bells, I promise you that we're all working together as well as could possibly be expected." I placed an assuring hand on her shoulder. "I trust Jessie, Nash, Carlisle, Edward… and even Sam to keep everything under control. We all have a common goal."

"To kill the vampires and the other monsters?" I could still hear the apprehension in her voice.

I shook my head. "That's only secondary. It's to protect the people. We have _no_ idea why the creatu- well, you know… we don't know why they're coming this way. That's what we need to find out, but the safety of humans comes first."

That seemed to have calmed Bella down a little, but frustration soon replaced the anxiety on her face. She'd mentioned that she was the target of monster attacks several times in the past. Perhaps that was why she wanted to be part of all this. Bella was never one to settle with being a victim, but she knew she could do little to nothing as a normal human being. Okay, maybe Bella wasn't so _normal_ in any sense of the word, but she was definitely powerless.

Maybe I was fortunate after all. At least I could take action. Well, so much for my wanting some time to be a normal teenager. It seemed like that was never going to happen. Ever.

"Alright," Bella yielded. "I suppose you're right about Charlie. I should be here when he wakes up. But you _have_ to tell me what's going on when you get back."

I sighed. Bella seemed perfectly alright taking the backseat when it came to planning her own wedding, yet when the situation was possibly life-threatening, she wanted an active part in it. And I thought I was the freak. I shook my head and sighed.

"Fine. Just promise me you won't pull any stunts like sneaking off on your own again. We can't afford twenty-four hour security just for you."

"Have you been hanging out with Edward or something?" Bella's eyebrows pulled together in discontent. "You're beginning to sound alike."

"I guess we both just want you safe," I said as I shooed Bella back into the house. "I gotta go - I'll see you later!"

The now-familiar path to the clearing seemed much shorter than the very first trip I made. Perhaps that was the reason I got there first. Although the clouds covered most of the sky, a sliver of orange hues could be seen just beyond the trees, but not enough to serve as any reliable light. I settled on a grassy patch at the center of the clearing. I pulled out my trusty, maroon notebook which I'd rolled up and stuffed into my back pocket, flipped to a page where I'd drawn a rough map of the Olympic Mountains, and began planning for a different patrol route. That lasted all of twenty seconds. My mind had quickly wandered off to what Alice had said a few days ago, and I was surprised by how much it had bothered me.

Jasper had left at the same time as Jacob Black, but they went their separate ways to scout the areas south of Forks. Alice had kept her focus on Jasper, wanting to make sure he returned safely. But instead, what she saw may have been the last of her partner…. Jasper had been running through an area east of Kalaloch when he suddenly slowed down. Alice had guessed that Jasper might have found a trail. He'd followed a scent into a ravine, and when he'd finally realized that he was surrounded and was going to be outnumbered, he'd tried to get to higher ground. But it had been too late.

That was when Alice's vision had disappeared.

Maybe it was the expression of horror and sorrow on Alice's face that had torn at me. She had looked as though someone had reached into her chest and pulled her heart out – if she had one. As Alice had struggled to recount her vision, I recall wondering what had happened to Jacob Black. Had he been attacked too?

It was hard to imagine him as a werewolf. The Jacob Black that Bella had painted in her letters was mostly that of a boy who loved to tease and laugh – a boy whose smile was as bright as the sun, and most of all, recklessly passionate. The werewolves I'd met – and killed – in the past all seemed dark and malicious even in human form, which was not how Jacob was described. Of course, I'd never met him or even seen him yet. I'd remained behind the tree when Jacob had arrived at the clearing that day. Maybe I was just painting my own fantastical picture of Jacob based on Bella's written words.

It was a quarter to six before the rest of the Slayer team showed up, except for Nash. He was probably still en route. Jessie, as usual, kept her auburn hair neatly tied to the back, framing her too-serious face, which really was not at all surprising. Jessie fundamentally had three expressions – indifferent, annoyed, and ferocious – all of which were not very amiable.

"It's about time you guys got here," I called out as I jumped to my feet.

Jessie's eyes scanned the dark trees surrounding the clearing and scoffed. "I suppose punctuality isn't a monster trait."

"The Mexican Jumping Bean insisted on having burritos before leaving the inn," Linc chortled as he elbowed Corky.

"Hey, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! That's what they said on the Health Channel," Corky said expertly. I smiled at the thought of Corky hauling a healthy supply of his favorite beef burritos wherever he went, certain that he might not find any wherever work took him.

I noticed Linc walked with a slight limp. He always got a little over-excited in battle, and it was not infrequent for him to sustain some injuries, but nothing serious. It was, however, odd for him to get hurt during patrol or even tracking.

"Run into a Newborn?" I asked lightly with a wink.

"Got a little careless last night." Linc didn't elaborate but the scowl on his face stopped me from asking for any embarrassing details. The last time he was 'careless', he had been spooked by a skunk – Linc's mortal enemy – and had fallen off a sharp cliff. It seemed he hadn't said much about it to Jessie or Corky either. I could tell that Corky was dying to ask though.

Only a few minutes had passed before we heard movement in the forest. Our instincts kicked in and all of our blades shot out of the slots on our gloves. We'd already had our backs to each other, facing outwards to ensure that we had complete visibility of all directions.

"Jessie," a soothing voice called out. "It's just us."

The Cullens.

Jessie made no attempt to lower her determined fists or retract her blades. Linc and Corky were unsure as to what to do and kept theirs out as well. I was hesitant. Although in my heart I knew that I should be able to trust all the Cullens, it was still difficult to completely suppress the Slayer instinct. My hands trembled as I consciously told myself to lower them.

Carlisle appeared out of the darkness first, followed by Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice, who looked even paler than the last time I'd seen her. The energy that defined Alice was all but gone. A new face then emerged from the trees. She looked to be about the same age as Carlisle – maybe slightly older. There was something so very motherly about her, and from Bella's description, I knew that she had to be Esme.

It was only after Edward appeared that I was able to let down both my guard and my hands, but my teammates kept their cautious stance. The Cullens ceased approaching at a good distance away from us. There was a lot more tension than during our first meeting, and once again, the image of a volcano crossed my mind. It was probably because there were now six vampires, rather than just the two before. If Jasper were here, that would make seven vampires, I thought nervously. This was definitely the largest coven we'd come across, and I was sure that this was enough to keep Jessie, Linc, and Corky on edge.

The thought of throwing in werewolves into this mix was just nauseating. No sooner had I thought this when we heard heavy rustling deep within the forest, but I was certain that they would not have been heard by normal human ears. Fallen braches snapped under the weight of something enormous, and from what we could hear, it seemed smaller trees were being taken down by whatever creature was approaching us. It had to be the Quileute pack, but I couldn't understand the sounds which seemed to accompany their approach.

"Well, they're not being their usual quiet selves," Emmett scoffed.

I could tell that Jessie wanted to turn her head, but her eyes remained locked onto the Cullens. Linc raised his fists higher towards the direction from which the pack was approaching. Corky kept shifting his gaze from the vampires to the dark, swaying trees.

"Don't worry," Carlisle assured us. "They're just taking precautions, but they're not going to attack. Not unless you provoke them." Carlisle was looking directly at Jessie now. "Please. Showing your weapons isn't going to help the situation."

I retracted my claws and immediately felt vulnerable, but it was the most prudent thing to do under the circumstances. "You guys, put away the blades," I insisted, half-pleading. Corky's hands began to tremble as his blades shot back into the slots of his gloves. Linc hesitatingly followed, but Jessie's fists only tightened – the leather of her gloves stretching audibly.

"Jess, I think we should listen to the bloodsucker this time," Linc suggested quietly.

"_Don't tell me what to do!_" Jessie gnashed her teeth in fury, but the ire in her voice was nothing compared to what I saw in her sharp, grey eyes as she glared at Carlisle and his family. I tried to concentrate on the approaching pack, but was confused with Jessie's stance; she had been fine a few days ago when we all met with Edward and Carlisle. Okay, maybe not "fine." Maybe the sheer number of vampires was really pushing her over the edge, but still, I had never seen her _this_ riled before.

Sam appeared out of the woods, surprisingly in human form. He was flanked by Embry and Quil. As they approached, their steps and arm movements mirrored one another. No matter how many times I saw this synchronized movement, it was still kind of… creepy. Other werewolves didn't move quite like this pack.

The three stopped as soon as Jessie turned to them with her blades still out. They all took one step back and crouched, and almost instantly, a large shadowy wall formed behind them. When we realized that the wall was made of numerous oversized werewolves, Linc and Corky drew their weapons and bent their knees is an offensive stance. Much against my will, my blades were already glinting over my knuckles.

Ferocious snapping and growls emitted from the pack and it took a second to realize that Edward and Carlisle were standing between us and the Pack.

"Stop! Let's all just calm down a little." Carlisle's hands were raised high above his head, palms outward. He was facing the pack while Edward faced us, his expression pleading. "We're here to talk about our common foe," the head Cullen reminded us calmly.

"Kayla," Edward called out to me. He said nothing more but I knew instinctively that he wanted me to take charge of the Slayers and calm them down.

Right. Like Jessie would ever listen to me. But what choice did I have?

I retracted my claws one last time. "Jessie," I said with as much a determined tone as I could manage. "Jessie, we have to be smart about this. _Please_!"

The ten seconds in which we all waited in suspense felt much longer, but Jessie finally lowered her arms, the blades shooting back into her gloves. Linc and Corky quickly followed.

When I was sure that we weren't going to kill each other on the spot, I turned my head towards the wolf pack again – this time, taking in more details. I noted the different colors in their short fur and the difference in their sizes, but none were smaller than a large horse. They were, in a word, _massive_. The werewolves we battled in the past were no bigger than small pony.

"Dang… they're freakishly huge," Corky whispered nervously beside me. "And there's like… nine of them."

I quickly began counting to verify this, and a new wave of nausea crashed over me when I realized that Corky was right.

Nine gigantic, mutant werewolves and six vampires – two of whom, understandably, wanted to sink their teeth into my neck. Not having our weapons out was beginning to look like a foolish idea.

"Kayla, I promise you – nothing will happen," Edward said soothingly. I wondered if he'd gone against his word about not reading my mind anymore, but the uncertainty must have shown on my face.

"If you need to address the Slayers, you will talk to _me_." Jessie snapped at Edward. His topaz eyes didn't meet her grey ones, but he acknowledged her demand with a slow nod.

"If only Jasper were here…." Alice's whisper was weak and almost inaudible. I glanced in her direction and found her curled up in Esme's arms. Had she seen him again in her visions? Was he 'dead'? I couldn't say that I understood exactly how she felt, but I imagined it was different from losing a parent.

"Jacob's on his way," said Sam, diverting my attention to him. He was speaking mostly to Carlisle. "He was able to track your kind yesterday, but it seemed as though they were retreating."

"Retreating?" Jessie couldn't help but be curious now. "What do you mean?"

"What part of 'retreating' didn't you get?" Quil growled, but Sam firmly pressed his hand against Quil's chest, driving him to take a few steps backwards.

"You'll have to excuse him. He hadn't had breakfast." Sam turned his attention to Jessie apprehensively. "The unidentified vampires were heading south-southeast. Jacob stopped following them when they crossed back over to Oregon. Oh, and he's also got-"

Movement in the trees interrupted Sam, and we were once again on our toes. "Jacob," Edward and Sam chorused before we could see anything emerge from the darkness.

I felt a knot in my stomach and watched the shadows of the trees move as though to make way for the enormous shadowy creature that was approaching us. Jessie cautiously came to my side, her attention finally peeled away from the Cullens.

As the wolf finally stepped into a dimly lit patch in the clearing, its russet brown fur glistened. _This_ was Jacob Black? I held my breath and squinted, unable to look away from the majestic beast. He was even larger than the other wolves, and unlike his pack brothers, he had long reddish-brown fur– he might as well been a cross between a bear, a horse, and an Afghan Hound. Its eyes were black and feral, yet there seemed to be so much intelligence and wisdom in them.

The wolf gazed in my direction. I thought I saw a sorrowful shock flicker in its eyes but it was gone all too quickly, replaced by a rage that sent shivers up my spine. For the first time, I was paralyzed by a monster's presence. An eerie silence surrounded me. I was suddenly deaf to everything around me, except for the light panting of the russet wolf. Was it gasping for air?

"Jasper!" Alice's high-pitched scream shook me and I whirled around to see the terror in her eyes. "Mongrel! _You_ did this to him?!"

I turned my head back to the Jacob-wolf and finally saw what everyone else seemed to have seen – a limp body slung over the russet wolf's back. Alice leapt forward – so quickly that even I almost couldn't see her – but Edward grabbed her wrist to stop her from attacking.

"No! Alice, he _saved_ Jasper!"

The giant wolf slowly lowered its body, and an unconscious Jasper gently slid off its back and landed onto the soft, grassy earth. His granite body was chipped and slashed deeply in various places. Had he been human, he would certainly have been dead.

"As I was saying," Sam said calmly. "He's got Jasper and he managed to kill two of the Nayeh that did this to him."

From the corner of my eye, I could see Alice looking slightly apologetic and desperately anxious to be by Jasper's side. The russet wolf got back on its feet, and I finally saw that it, too, was injured. It slowly backed away, one painful limp at a time. He had been able to take down two of the Nayeh, but at what cost? It was hard to tell the extent of the injury with its long, red-brown fur. It swiftly turned around and disappeared back into the forest.

"Wait!" I inadvertently called after him.

I whipped my head around and looked at Sam; as though he'd read my thoughts, he answered my silent question. "He'll be back," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "He just wants to change back and speak for himself."

I noticed Corky wrinkle his forehead at me; Linc looked curious as well but turned away when our eyes met. I didn't want to look at Jessie – she was bound to be livid. I was treating the monsters more and more like fellow humans, which was taboo in Slayer society. She was standing so close to me that I really didn't need to glance at her to know the extent of her fury. Her arms were shaking so much in anger that I felt the vibrations against my arm.

Alice and Emmett ran to where Jasper lay lifelessly on the grassy earth. Emmett slung his 'brother' over his shoulder as though he weighed nothing, while Alice held on to Jasper's hand. The agony in her eyes made me question my views on the vampires' existence once again, but I knew that the Cullens were the rare occurrence. The garden-variety bloodsuckers were vile – insatiably thirsting for human blood.

"Jacob!" Embry gasped when Jacob finally appeared from the trees. My heart skipped a beat, and I had no idea why. I kept my head downcast.


	14. Chapter 13

Northern Lights

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 13 – The Retreat

_It's only Jacob Black. It's only Bella's best friend_. New _best friend_. Oh geez, I'm not jealous, am I? It felt different though – not like before. But before what? I couldn't recall the first time the mention of 'Jacob Black' made me jerk in attention without the twinge of jealousy that I'd felt the first time I read about him in Bella's letters.

Jessie inched even closer to me – just behind to my left – pinching the back of my shirt and tugging me back a little. I slowly turned my head towards Jacob, but as soon as our eyes met, I felt as though someone had thrust a flag pole right through my chest. His dark, deep-set eyes oozed with agonizing despair. Ah, I had not imagined it earlier in the wolf's eyes after all.

Then, there it was – the vengeful glare that I'd seen in the wolf's black eyes that followed the devastating sadness. He looked at me as though I'd killed someone precious to him. What had I done? Was it because I was Bella's other best friend? That was ridiculous. No amount of jealousy could produce such a violent glare. I couldn't breathe. His eyes had caught mine in a lock and I couldn't even shift my gaze elsewhere – I hadn't even had time to take in the rest of Jacob's features. I _couldn't _have done anything. I'd never met him before now!

Jacob shifted his dark eyes away from me and found Jessie. His face suddenly smoothed out with what I could only describe as thankful relief, but it was still hard and guarded.

Resentment slowly formed within me. I never really cared about what others thought of me in the past, except for Bella. Bella and I had always been a little odd in school anyway – two peas in a pod – and all we needed was each other's company to feel accepted in the world. The only opinion that mattered to me back then was my "sister's" – Bella's. There was no good reason for me to feel upset that this werewolf… this _monster_ seemed to hate me. I couldn't understand why and this upset me.

It seemed that my being Jacob's target of possible vengeance did not go unnoticed. The giant, furry wall of werewolves behind Sam, Embry, and Quil shifted anxiously on the spot.

I managed to tear my eyes away from Jacob and noticed that the others were all staring at Jacob with curiosity, except for Carlisle and Alice, who were crouched over Jasper. Judging from Carlisle's expression, I wasn't sure if he liked his own diagnosis. I noticed that the edges of the chipped areas on Jasper's body were turning acidic-green. That definitely didn't look good. I heard a low _hmph_ from Jessie. I didn't check her expression but there clearly was a hint of satisfaction in the sound.

"Alice, Esme. Take Jasper back home," said Carlisle. "I'm sure he'll be alright, but I'll check on his wounds when we get back."

As soon as he said this, I noticed Edward subtly flash his topaz eyes at his "step-father" in concern. Even though I had seen a variety of vampire wounds in my line of work, Jasper's didn't look good and I was almost sure he was far from 'alright'. Alice hurriedly slid her arm under Jasper's shoulder and lifted him up, despite her tiny frame. Esme took his other side, and together, they took off to the north.

When I finally felt able to look back at Jacob, he'd already faced away and was addressing the others. "Let's get down to business," he growled impatiently.

"Jake, you're hurt pretty badly." Embry, the one standing closest to Jacob, tried to reach out to grab Jacob's arm, but he jerked his arm away.

"I'm fine."

Corky courageously took a step forward towards Jacob. "Well, shouldn't we at least introduce ourselves first?"

"You know who I am and I know that you're Slayers. That's all I need to know." Jacob's voice was even, determined, and cold.

"Before we discuss strategies," Carlisle said, cautiously approaching Jacob with an extended hand. "I would like to thank you for saving Jasper. We're deeply indebted to you."

"I wasn't doing it for you bloodsuckers," Jacob hissed, clearly not intending on taking Carlisle's hand. "Bella would have wanted me to-" He paused, seemingly unable to continue as his face twisted in pain. He still loved her…. I was able to hear it in his quivering, husky voice and see it in his fervent eyes. It was only then that I was finally able to take in his overall appearance.

His hair, which I was sure was once smooth and silky like Sam and the rest of the Quileute boys, was dry and tangled – unkempt. Bits of dried leaves clung to it as though he'd slept on the forest floor for ages. His lips formed an upside-down 'U' in a permanent grimace. His overall expression was oddly angry yet devoid of real human emotions. His anger seemed inhuman – purely feral.

This was not the Jacob that Bella had written about. Where was the boy whose smile alone warmed those around him? Where was the boy who fought passionately for Bella's affection despite knowing that her heart was set on Edward? Could a broken heart really do this to someone? Change them so drastically? I shuddered at the thought.

Just as with his pack brothers in human form, he was wearing only cut-offs and was barefoot, but he was covered in numerous gashes on every visible part of his body. Strangely, he wasn't bleeding, but it was evident that the cuts were extensive. Then I recalled how quickly werewolves could heal. I was once again fascinated; I had never actually encountered a healing werewolf. Whenever I was in the presence of one, I always made sure that they never healed.

"Just as Sam explained, it seems the other Nayeh Skinwalkers are retreating," Jacob stated flatly. "As are the other Cold Ones. It's hard to believe but I think they're actually working together."

"If they're retreating, then we've got nothing to worry about," Linc said disappointedly, contrary to his words. He must have _really_ wanted to fight this batch.

"Actually, we should be more concerned," Jessie opposed. "Why would they come this far only to retreat? Because we'd been patrolling for two measly days? There's something else going on."

Carlisle began rubbing his chin in thought. "I'm apt to agree with you, Jessie," he said, not noticing Jessie cringe when he mentioned her name. "We need to continue patrolling. And we need more proof of their collaboration. Vampires generally do not acknowledge truces with werewolves."

"Not real truces anyway." Heads turned to Sam as he took a step closer to the center of the triangle formed by our three groups. "_If_ they're somehow working together, I can almost bet that they would betray and kill the other upon succeeding in whatever it is they're out here to do."

Jacob inched closer to the center of the meeting ground. He moved ever so cautiously as though he trusted no one. "I'm positive that the rogue werewolves-"

"They're actually shape-shifters," Linc corrected Jacob. His tone clearly indicated that he was doing it only to taunt the boy.

Jacob snarled but kept his eyes on Sam and Carlisle, who were now standing next to each other as though their close proximity didn't bother them in the least. Jessie narrowed her eyes and kept a watchful eye on the two leaders.

"As I was saying," Jacob continued. "The rogue_ werewolves_ and the unknown bloodsuckers are working together. Three of the wolves that attacked Jasper took off like a bat out of hell when I took the other two down. That was when I caught the scent of two bloodsuckers, but their odor faded in the direction that the wolves disappeared."

"They could have been chasing those mangy mutts," Emmett pointed out smugly. "That's not proof that they were collaborating."

Jacob's head whipped towards Emmett, his dark brown eyes flared ferociously. "First of all, why would they chase down werewolves when they're outnumbered? They could have come after me if they were out to kill werewolves. I was alone with Jasper. Secondly, one of those bloodsuckers actually saw me and Jasper, who was clearly too unconscious to serve as my back-up."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as everyone mulled over this piece of information.

"It is still circumstantial," Carlisle finally said. "But Jacob does have a good point. It wouldn't make sense for two vampires to go after three werewolves to take them down."

"Certainly not for food," Rosalie sneered as she flipped her long, blond curls over her shoulder and turning up her nose in disgust. "I can't imagine those things tasting remotely palatable. I'd rather drink from a snake."

"Wouldn't that be considered cannibalism?" Quil rested his hands on his hips and grinned maliciously at the blond.

"Quil, that's enough," Sam barked. "You're not helping our situation!"

The rather hefty Quileute boy took a step back, but he didn't look as though he regretted having pushed any of the female vampire's buttons.

I glanced up at Jacob who still kept his eyes on Carlisle and Sam. I turned to Jessie, who usually had some brilliant idea of what was going on, but she seemed too distracted. She always had a _thing_ for vampires, particularly the dead kinds. She was capable of over-killing them – tearing them to tiny shreds before burning the remains. We often joked that after Jessie was through with a vampire, there really wasn't much left to burn.

"I guess they retreated because we showed up?" I asked when a silence fell upon the odd group once again. All heads turned in my direction, including Jacob's, and I cleared my throat when I felt it dry up. "The vampires and Nayehs seemed gung-ho coming up this way, but they retreated almost as soon as the rest of the Slayer team showed up unexpectedly. I'm thinking that they'll be back soon. Can't imagine they'd give up this easily, as Jessie said earlier. They're probably re-strategizing or something. So we should definitely keep up with the patrolling."

Thankfully, heads nodded from all groups.

"Do you keep your hides with you at all times?" Corky addressed Sam in curiosity.

Confusion struck the three Quileute boys as well as the wall of werewolves behind them. Edward had explained to me before how the wolves phased, and I suddenly felt sheepish for having forgotten to update my team on this tidbit. I saw Edward shoot a curious glance in my direction, but I ignored him and feigned ignorance. Jessie would have had my head for breakfast if she knew I failed to disclose this knowledge.

After a few seconds, Sam and Jacob barked in laughter. "We're not like the Nayeh," Sam guffawed, placing his hands on his hips. "We don't use hides to phase."

"You _don't_?! How do you transform then? Not the full-moon right? I mean, the last two nights haven't been full moons…." Corky gaped in astonishment.

"We phase whenever we like." Jacob's voice was low and authoritative. "We do have to keep our clothes tied around our ankles for when we phase back to humans though. That's the only down-side."

"The whole full-moon thing is Hollywood BS," scoffed Quil. "You _do_ know that right?"

"That's not entirely true. There are werewolves who rely on the full-moon," I corrected Quil, who promptly shot daggers at me. The vampires and wolves turned their attention to me as well, but they seemed more inquisitive than indignant. Carlisle, however, seemed aware of what I was talking about. "Well, there aren't many of them anymore. Nearly extinct, really," I explained. "But in Europe, there _are_ people who turn into werewolves during the full moon."

"Yeah! Which rock were you living under?" Corky's smug grin garnered a snarl from Quil, but this encouraged Corky even more. The kid got off on getting under the skin of foes. "Dude, they're called Children of the Moon. Fancy name, but they're still smelly, monstrous dogs. I've killed one myself two years ago."

Linc pinched Corky's arm, causing the boy to yelp. His pomposity was begging for a fight – which would have been all too easy – and Linc always looked out for Corky when Nash wasn't around.

Noting that the wolves all had small bundles of clothes around their ankles, Corky arched a suddenly amused eyebrow. "Oh… so, you're pretty much naked when you turn back to your human form, huh?" The pack remained silent as Sam gave a quick nod. Corky waggled his eyebrows. "So… any females in your pack?"

Linc's hand quickly smacked the back of Corky's head. "Aside from burritos, is that all you can think about?"

"Ouch! Watch the hair, dude!" Corky shot Linc a look of indignation as he rubbed the back of his head. Despite his only being fifteen years old, Corky was beyond his years when it came to girls… or rather, women. The boy was an excellent slayer, but attractive, older women were going to one day cause his demise. At least, that was the running joke.

"Let's get back on topic here," Jessie hissed, her hands shaking from impatience. "If the Nayeh are retreating, then there's really no reason for all of us-" She glances at Linc and Corky. "- to stay here. We should return to Phoenix."

"But they could be back." Both Edward and Jacob chorused at the same time. They narrowed their eyes at one another before looking back at Jessie.

"They could, but maybe they won't. We don't know that, and frankly, we have a truck-load of issues to take care of back home," Jessie addressed the non-humans.

This might have sounded like a logical move, but I knew Jessie better than that. She would never retreat from a possible battle until she was absolutely sure that there would be no provocation from any nefarious creatures. Why would she want to back out now?

"Besides," Jessie added. "You all seem capable of handling this. You really don't need us here. We'll leave this afternoon."

Linc arched his eyebrow at her, and I knew we'd both figured out what was going on in Jessie's mind. She wasn't giving up on this battle. She was going to wait and see who would be left standing at the end of the fight, and she certainly hoped there would be one. It was a strategic move on her part. Why risk the lives of the Slayers when the Cullens and Quileute wolves were willing to battle the carnivorous vampires and the Nayeh? She was going to want the Cullens and Sam's pack to win. That was certain. After all, they would be easier to take on – to slaughter.

"Of course," Carlisle said regretfully. "We understand. Hopefully, they won't come back up this way."

"Even if they did, I'm sure we can deal with them without the slayers." Sam's voice was confident, and I almost felt sorry that he had no idea what it was like to fight an army of Nayeh. The Nayeh were unlike the Skinwalkers in that they were more organized and much more malicious, if that were possible. Killing five or six was one thing, but fighting hundreds… that was a bloodbath waiting to happen. A bloodbath. I had to get Bella and Charlie out of here. Heck, the whole town of Forks and La Push had to be evacuated!

"I guess I'm staying," I said matter-of-factly. "I still have to help out with the wedding."

Almost immediately, I noticed Jacob stiffen. And he still refused to look my way._ That was a sensitive move, Kayla. Carve his heart out of his chest while you're at it_. I wanted to slap myself on the spot, until I caught Jessie's uneasy expression. She obviously found it inconvenient that I stay in contact with the Cullens. It was really unavoidable while I remained with Bella.

"That's fine." Jessie muttered in resignation. "But if the Nayeh start up something back home, you're going to have to come back. No exceptions."

"Fine." I shrugged, sensing that the Nayeh and their vampire cronies would return to Washington anyway.

"So we're still patrolling, right?" Quil asked impatiently to no one in particular. "Can we end this meeting now?"

"Yes, we continue making the rounds," Carlisle responded. "Same shifts, but we may need to widen our range to cover the areas that the slayers were patrolling."

"Um… I'll still be here to do it," I reminded him, raising my index finger.

"Yes, but it's unwise to patrol on your own, and you certainly can't go on twenty-four hours a day," Sam noted. "There are ten of us- " Sam cocked his head back, indicating the wall of wolves behind him. "-so we'll cover the slayer's areas. You can join us."

"Excellent," Carlisle agreed with a nod. "It's all settled then."

I blinked a few times in confused astonishment. I suppose I never expected either the Cullens nor the Pack to voluntarily invite me, a Slayer, to join them. I suppose it was safer to join the Pack anyway. Even though Carlisle and Edward were safe enough, Emmett and Rosalie looked positively murderous. I wondered how long it would take, on average, for someone to forgive you if you'd nearly decapitated his or her head. Come to think of it, Jacob didn't seem all too happy with me either.

"Thanks, Sam," I managed a genuine smile. "Who'll be my patrol buddy?"

"Jacob," Sam addressed the ever-feral boy standing next to him. "You'll be ready by tomorrow, won't you?"

Jacob's eyes rounded at Sam, probably thinking the same thing I was, which was basically '_Are you insane?!_' Did Sam even notice how Jacob had looked at me? I could easily take Jacob on, but I didn't feel like it.

I swallowed nervously. "Sam? Maybe you could pair me up with Embry. Jacob looks like he could use some rest. You know… let his injuries heal?"

"I don't need to rest. I'll be fine by this evening." Jacob's deep, monotonous voice reverberated in the still air. "But Embry would be a better partner," he quickly added, keeping his eyes on Sam. Embry coughed uncomfortably but didn't object.

"No, you can pair up with her. That would be better." Sam's expression was unchanging, stoic. I had no idea what he meant by "better", but the way he said it… I had a feeling it had nothing to do with how well Jacob and I would work together as patrol buddies.

"Sam, I don't -"

"That's an order from the Alpha," barked Sam. That seemed to have been enough reason to shut Jacob up, even though his expression clearly protested against the directive.

Carlisle turned his head to Jessie, his visage as unthreatening as always. "I had hoped to catch up with Nashoba. Please give him my regards if he decides to leave with you later today."

Jessie's lips tautened and her nostrils flared, but she managed a nod. Goodness knows what it took for Jessie to control herself in front of so many monsters – particularly vampires.

As Edward and Carlisle dipped their heads in farewell, Rosalie and Emmett took off into a blurry run into the forest. Almost at the same time, the six giant werewolves quietly disappeared, quickly followed by Embry and Quil. Soon, the last two vampires were gone in a flash.

Corky elbowed Linc and grinned. "Good to know we all feel the same way about being together."

"What?"

"They were all in such a rush to get away from each other that they practically _apparated_ out of here."

"They what?"

"You know, 'apparated'? Crack, poof? Into thin air? Harry Potter?" Linc stared at Corky as though the boy was speaking in tongues. Corky rolled his eyes upward and shook his head. "Forget it."

"Let's go," Jessie commanded in a much calmer voice. Vampires always brought out the worst in her. If she had it her way, she would ignore the Slayer Code and kill every vampire she came across – including civil ones like the Cullens. I couldn't blame her though. She had every right to feel the way she did about them. It's a miracle that she hadn't ended up in a mental institute after what happened to her family….

Linc and Corky followed Jessie out of the clearing and I slowly trailed behind them. I hoped that we would never have to all meet like this again. At least not with this many participants who would have, to varying degrees, taken some sick pleasure in ending the meeting in a massacre.

I glanced over my shoulders and caught Jacob staring after us, but he hastily averted his eyes. Sam had already phased into a wolf and leapt between the trees, leaving behind only the light rustling of leaves in his track. I paused, letting my teammates disappear towards the Volvo Convertible parked at the edge of the forest.

With just the two of us left in the clearing, Jacob's appearance became even more apparent than before. The noiseless breeze blew swept his ebony, matted hair from his worn face. His bangs had grown to uneven lengths over his piercing, dark eyes. His cheekbones and jaw line were well-defined, his nose was neither too slender or wide. His lips, taut from either stress or anxiety, were a dark pink shade against his chocolate-brown complexion. Although he had dirt smears on his cheeks, nose, and under his eyes, there was a certain beauty to him. Not the typical model kind of beauty, but one that exuded with manliness, passion, and confidence.

Still, Jacob Black appeared absolutely haggard, despite his attractive features. It was evident that the past few months had not been too kind to him. In fact, he had clearly suffered. Was it all because of his love for Bella? Or was it because he lost her to a vampire? It didn't matter. Just looking at his sorry state made me feel uneasy. I really didn't have cause to feel any pity for Jacob, especially since he obviously despised me for some reason. This certainly proved to be an inauspicious first-encounter with Bella's "sun".

Jacob finally budged and took a step towards the direction of La Push.

"Hey," I called out. "So, where and when do you want to start patrolling?"

With his back to me, he said nothing but merely glanced over his shoulder. Glaring. His pissed-off look was beginning to get tiresome. Whatever he thought I did to him, he'd just have to get over it and deal with me as a partner.

"Look, if you rather go about alone, that's fine with me. I prefer flying solo, too," I added matter-of-factly. I didn't want him to think that he was the only one who found this new buddy-arrangement an inconvenience.

When he ignored me still and turned his head away, my annoyance with the werewolf began inching to dangerous levels. I was tempted to snap at him and tell him that he should at least have the decency to respond when asked a question, but then decided it wasn't worth getting worked up over. I began walking away when Jacob finally spoke out.

"Day after tomorrow. Nine o'clock," he said monotonously. It was more like a mumble and I could barely hear him with his head turned away.

I needed to get close enough to hear what he was saying. I covered thirty feet of ground between us in a split second. "Did you say nine o'clock?"

"Sheesh!" Jacob gasped as he took a step back, which in human distance was approximately five feet. "Don't _ever_ do that – especially with a werewolf!"

"I can handle myself fine, thanks very much," I retorted indignantly as I crossed my arms. "I'm a slayer, remember?"

Jacob's dark eyes narrowed as though he was trying to access what I'd said. How I wished I had Edward's ability to read minds at this very moment. "Yeah, nine o'clock," he finally said. His voice was no friendlier and I was beginning to wonder if Bella was being sarcastic in her letters when she said that Jacob Black was like the sun – perpetually happy and someone who made her smile.

"Where? Here?"

"No. In front of the Forks Chamber of Commerce," he muttered as he turned away once again. "It's on the far southeastern side of town. It should only take us five minutes to get to the Hoh Rainforest where we'll start patrol. That's if-" Jacob glanced over his shoulder with still-narrowed eyes. "- you can keep up with me."

"I can outrun you any day, wolf." My lips barely moved as I tried to suppress my irritation with Jacob's annoying attitude.

He responded with a condescending snort. "That should be interesting."

Without saying another word, he took off in a blinding run. My foot began to tap furiously as I watched him disappear into the forest, arms still crossed tightly. _Jerk_.


	15. Chapter 14

Northern Lights

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 14 – Jessie's Lament

The Saturday morning after Jessie, Corky and Linc left, I didn't feel like getting out of bed. My body was protesting the fact that I had switched hours of sleeping once again, but at least I wasn't going to be a night owl anymore. Sam had called last night and had left a message with Bella that I'd be taking the day shift with Jacob, and I wondered if I was supposed to still meet him in front of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, now that we didn't have to do night shift. Sam hadn't mentioned anything about that according to Bella. She had looked mildly displeased when I'd told her that Jacob was my patrolling partner. I could only guess why.

Jacob hadn't come around to see Bella ever since he disappeared, and even though he was back, he seemed to have stayed away. Bella had spent a few minutes complaining about Jacob going against his word that they would remain friends no matter what, but could Bella really blame him? He'd been deeply in love with her and might have stayed away longer had it not been for the Nayeh and blood-thirsty vampires approaching his hometown. I thought it was rather noble of him to even come back for the sake of his own tribe, setting his own hurt aside.

I stared up at the ceiling, contemplating the pros and cons of getting up. I didn't have to start patrolling until the next day, so today was my "off" day. I thought of maybe heading down to First Beach later on, but the cold egged me on to remain in the warmth of my bed. I thought about what Nash had said last night after he finally returned. He had told Jessie to go ahead and return to Phoenix while he remained behind just in case something happened – like there was no way I could handle any of it on my own. He was probably right. If the army of Nayeh turned back to Washington with their supposed vampire allies, I'd be screwed. Then again, I had wolves and vampires on my side too.

What puzzled me was how much time Nash spent contemplating the notion of my patrolling with Jacob Black. He didn't like that idea one bit, but he seemed to have his plate full with his own patrolling. I offered to go with him, but he found that idea less appealing than my partnering up with a werewolf, or rather, a shapeshifter. He was researching something and sometimes covered great distances, which was why he never showed up at the last meeting with the Cullens and Sam's pack. It was going to be easier for him to move without a partner, and Nash was more than capable of handling himself. So, reluctantly, he conceded to the idea of my joining the wolf pack to do the rounds.

It truly was chilly for an autumn day, especially coming from Arizona. It was a "freezing" forty-two degrees outside. If this was going to continue, I'd have one heck of a time trying to get up every day for "work". Figuring I should learn to force myself out, I slithered out from under my comforter and ran to the closet to throw a thick sweater on. I jogged in place as I slipped on my jogging pants, thick socks, and running shoes before making my way downstairs towards the kitchen.

I was only half way down the staircase when I heard Charlie's fearful voice from the living room. "You're not _pregnant_, are you?"

_What? Who? Bella?_

"No, dad! Geez!" There was definitely annoyed embarrassment in Bella's tone. I froze on the steps, knowing that this was probably not a good time to appear. Maybe I should just turn around quietly and….

"Charlie, I assure you – it's nothing like that." It was Edward. Ah. So he decided to ask for Bella's hand in marriage this morning. There was no way I was going back to my bedroom now. What Charlie had to say was going to be interesting to hear, so I stealthily sat on the step I was on and perked up my ears – not that there was any need to since Charlie was enunciating every word with force.

"So… you're going to get married so soon because-" Charlie trailed off, skepticism oozing from his words.

"We're going to be married – whether it be now or ten years from now," Bella declared with such certainty. "So we figured we might as well do it now. Why wait?"

"What about college? You've already delayed entering heading to Dartmouth by a month."

"I've decided to take a year off – Dartmouth Admissions said it was okay," said Bella with less confidence. I wondered if Charlie heard the blatant lie in her voice, but I doubted it. But why would Bella lie about this? I knew she wanted to go to college – at least before she came to Forks. It was _important_ to her. Now it seemed like nothing in the world was more important than Edward. I bit my lip as I tried to figure out why she'd put college off – temporarily or permanently. Even if she decided not to go, how would she explain that to her parents? But why would she decide not to go to college? Unless she was in no condition to attend school….

Then, it hit me. What condition would she be in to be unfit to go to school? With a vampire for a fiancé…. My eyes flared with anger and I could feel the heat crawl up my cheeks as my hands tightened into shaking fists. Edward's not going to turn my best friend into a monster, is he? Because if he is, he's got another thing coming!

"Charlie, I promise to take care of Bella. I love her more than words could ever describe," said Edward earnestly. I had to admit - the boy had a way with words. He was a walking Hallmark card. Still, it did nothing to calm my anger. If he was planning on turning her, as much as I liked him, I'd have to kill him.

After a short silence, Charlie said calmly, "Well, I suppose if your mother says it's okay…."

_What?! Wait a second. This was _too_ easy. _

I'd abruptly stood up on the spot, forgetting about the creaky sounds the stairs made. Charlie, Bella, and Edward came out of the living room and found me frozen on the staircase. My eyes were fixed on Bella, and I was sure she read the shock in my expression because she quickly made her way up the stairs. There was confusion strewn all over her face because she knew that I had made peace with Edward. That was true, but the idea of him "killing" Bella changed all that.

"Congratulations, Bells," I managed to sound mildly amused. "I'm really happy for you. I'm sure Edward would make an _excellent_ husband."

"Thanks, Kayls," she said tentatively.

I was going to tell Bella that we needed to talk, but Edward spoke before I could. "Good morning, Kayla," he said in a faux light tone. "Good thing you're up. I wanted to talk to you about something."

It was easy to assume that he's heard my thoughts. Even though he promised never to read my mind, I was sure he heard me. I was, after all, practically screaming at him mentally. "Sure," I answered with a tight voice. "I was going to go for a jog. Wanna join me?"

"I'm coming too. We'll see you later, dad," Bella added quickly before she gave her father a bear hug. "And thank you. Thank you so much, dad."

"Sure thing," Charlie said in all smiles. My mind exploded with acronyms for 'monster' and 'murderer' as I marched out of the house. I felt the cold radiating from Edward right behind me, followed by Bella who was careful not to slam the door. She ran to my side but I made no attempt to slow down. This "discussion" we were going to have was definitely not for humans to hear. Well, except for Bella.

"_What_ is the _matter_ with you?" Bella barked as soon as we were out of hearing range from the house. "You told me you liked Edward! Now you have a problem with us getting married?"

"Yes, I _liked_ him," I muttered audibly, emphasizing the past tense.

"You've nothing to worry about, Kayla," Edward said emotionlessly. "Nothing's going to happen to her. Not under my watch."

Bella whipped her head around towards Edward, grabbed my elbow and planted her feet firmly to the ground. "What are you talking about? Are you two discussing me behind my back?"

"This isn't the place-"

"You're damn right it isn't," I interjected.

"The south side of the Hoh Rainforest – few trails and not many sane people go there."

I nodded in bitter agreement. After making sure that there was no one around to see us disappear, Edward picked Bella up as though she weighed nothing and made a run in a southwesterly direction.

I'd managed to run past Edward with ease, but that was probably because I had no cargo. I suspected that it would have taken considerably more effort to pass him under more fair conditions.

Deep in the forest, I found a spot where we could all sit. The rocks were covered with light-green moss while the trees were blanketed in darker ones. The olive moss dangled from the branches, making them look like eerie, ghostly fingers. The spots that were lit somewhat by the sun looked alright, but much of the forest was in the shadows, giving it a foreboding atmosphere.

As soon as Edward set Bella down on a relatively dry and sturdy log, I wasted no time in confronting Edward. "So you're _not_ turning her." My question sounded more like a threat.

Edward bit his lip as he sat next to Bella and took her hand in his. "Not if I can help it," he said, meeting my accusing glare.

"Wait! Hang on! You promised!" Bella snapped at her parent-approved fiancé. This shook me out of my anger as I rounded my eyes at her.

"You _want_ to be turned into a monster?! Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"Kayla, you say 'monster' one more time and I swear I'll-"

"But she's right, Bella," Edward interrupted her. "I ultimately can't deny you if that's what you really, truly want, but so help me I'm going to try and discourage you. You've no idea what it's like to crave for blood. You've no idea went what it's like to lost the human warmth and touch… to not be able to sleep or cry or any other human things you're taking for granted. But the pain of being thirsty and wanting to kill – I don't want that for you."

"You won't let me kill anyone," Bella said in a lower voice as she stared into his topaz eyes pleadingly. "_Please_, Edward. I don't want to grow old without you."

"But I _will_ be with you," Edward said gently, covering her hand with his other one and bringing it to where his heart would have been. "I will _never_ leave you again. Ever."

"But you won't be with me forever – I'm eventually going to die…"

I felt a stab in my heart, but I wasn't sure if it was because I hated seeing the hurt in Bella's eyes or because she thought of 'turning' so casually – like it didn't matter that she would no longer be able to be with her family or friends. I couldn't understand that kind of love. To me, it looked more like obsession… like drugs. Drugs made a person forget everything that mattered – an addict only cared for the next fix and not even family can come between an addict and their drugs. Was this what true love was like? If it was, I never wanted to be in love. Ever.

"I'll die too," whispered Edward. My attention snapped back to him. "When you go, I'll follow."

"I don't _want_ you to die!" Bella was practically screaming. "I want us to be together forever! For all eternity!"

My knees weakened and I dropped to the ground like a heavy sack of potatoes. I knew that I didn't have the power to otherwise convince Bella that this was a bad idea. She was so determined, and she made it all sound like her happiness depended on her turning. I couldn't say anything, but I also knew I couldn't accept it. I had fought and killed too many newborns to shrug this off. I'd seen the cruelty and brutality of mature vampires, and it was ten times worse with newborns. They didn't care if they were seen feeding in public or if they had to feed on babies, because all they cared about was satiating their thirst. The only human emotions I'd ever seen in vampires were anger, jealousy, greed, and – just before I cut them up – fear. The Cullens were just so different from the regular vampires that many a time, I'd almost forgotten that they were bloodsuckers… that Edward was one too. But that didn't mean that Bella was going to "awaken" just like the Cullens. Goodness knows what kind of suffering they had to endure to become "vegetarians".

"Kayla… Kayla?"

The voices calling to me seemed very distant. I was still imagining my best friend… my sister… suffering and hungering for human blood. Tears welled up in my eyes and I didn't know how to discourage her. I wanted to scream and stomp my feet like a child not wanting her parents to go after she'd been dropped off at kindergarten for the first time. My mind went blank after that.

"You're leaving me, too, just like dad," I said unconsciously. I only caught my words after they'd left my mouth.

I felt warm, comforting arms wrap around me in that instant. Bella pressed her cheek on the top of my head and my tears flowed freely then.

"It's going to be okay, Kayls," she cooed. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll just be… a little different."

'A little different' was an understatement. Knowing what I knew from first-hand experience with newborns and from additional horror stories from Jessie, Bella was going to be much more than 'a little different'. I wasn't sure if she would be able to retain much of herself at all after turning. She wasn't going to be Bella anymore. She was going to be, in the literal sense, as good as dead.

"I can't be around you if you turn, Bells," I cried in a whisper. "I can't… I won't be able to handle it. And I can't guarantee your safety either."

Bella released me as she recoiled in shock. "You'd… you'd _kill_ me?"

"If I had to," I retorted quickly. "If you posed a threat to humans, I'd have to! It'd kill me to do it, but I'm a Slayer, Bells! You're like my sister, but I can't… I can't…." I couldn't breathe as I choked out every word.

"Shhh." Bella pulled me in a tight hug once again. "I know, Kayla. I know. And I promise you, Edward would never let me hurt anyone. If I have to move to Alaska until I can control my thirst, I'll do it. I promise. Isn't that right, Edward?"

I turned my watery eyes on Edward and tried to read his hardened expression.

"_If_ I turn you," he sighed, defeated. "And _if_ I you pose the slightest bit of threat to humans, I will take you away to where you can do no harm. _If_."

I could tell from both his expression and tone that he was reluctant with the whole idea of Bella becoming a vampire too. This was a relief to me. He knew what it was like being a newborn, and he knew the suffering and pain that came with it, as well as the hardships that followed _if_ a newborn survived to maturity. He understood it, and I knew that if it could be helped, he wouldn't put Bella through it because he loved her that much. And if he had to turn her, I now had enough confidence in him to keep her and everyone else safe.

Still, the thought of her becoming one made me cringe – vegetarian or otherwise. As Bella slowly unwrapped her arms from around me, an ice-cold hand landed heavily on my shoulder, making me shoot backwards into a solid, mossy rock with a thud.

"Sorry," Edward apologized sheepishly. "I just wanted to assure you that I'd do whatever it takes for Bella to be safe. For everyone to be safe."

I chewed on my lower lip and nodded. "It'll just take some time for me to even accept the idea…."

"Especially since you've dealt with my kind," Edward sympathized.

"Yeah. And it doesn't help that Jessie keeps reminding us of the 'evils of vampires'," I said, giving Edward a weak smile.

"Yes, I'd noticed she was particularly on guard with us – much more so than with the wolves," Edward mused with curiosity. He sat back down on the log across from me, and Bella promptly took her place by him. She, too, seemed curious about Edward's observation.

"Well, Jessie had the most difficult experience with vampires. Downright traumatic," I sighed. "There's absolutely no room in her heart for sympathy towards monst… non-humans, but most especially your kind."

"Why is that?" Bella quickly demanded. I knew Edward was just as curious, but he was trying to be polite by not prodding so much.

I exhaled slowly, wondering how Jessie would feel if I told a vampire her story. After a few seconds of deliberation, I decided that she might not mind. She'd told me the first day I was initiated as though she was reciting a scientific or historical piece of information – all fact and no emotion. We all knew otherwise of course. Her experience was what made her an ideal leader for Slayers.

"So are you going to tell us?" Bella asked again. It wasn't really a question so much as it was a request to tell the story. Edward glanced at her, took her hand and shook his head lightly in disapproval. Bella turned to me and smiled weakly. "You don't have to, of course. I'm sorry. It's not really your story to tell…."

"She wouldn't mind," I said. "Well, she'd mind me telling just _anyone_, but with you and Edward… I have a strange feeling she'd want you to know. Except she wouldn't tell you herself because-"

"She can't stand to be anywhere near us unless we were dead on the ground," Edward said, finishing my sentence. I gave one nod as I squirmed in place. Bella huffed and crossed her arms.

"She's not a very tolerant person, is she?" Bella groaned.

"She has good reason," I said heatedly. "Are you going to let me explain?"

Bella exhaled slowly and nodded apologetically. I readjusted my position against the rock I was now leaning against, settling onto the soft earth that molded against the shape of my rear. Crossing my legs as though I were a Native elder about to tell a story, I cleared my throat and pictured Jessie in my mind.

"Jessie became a Slayer when she was sixteen years old, back in 1997, Nash had recruited her. She lived with her mother and her two younger twin brothers. _Much_ younger brothers – they were only three years old at the time she joined the team. Her family was incredibly close, especially since the death of her father when Jessie was only fourteen years old. They did everything together, whether it was just grocery shopping or sitting out by their double-wide trailer during the winter months to chat. They weren't well off, but they were incredibly happy to have one another.

After high school, Jessie began Slaying full-time, and just as with any Slayer, she received a salary which helped support her family. She'd told her mom that she got a job at a fast food restaurant.

Jessie's mother had been a nurse until she was diagnosed with cancer on Jessie's nineteenth birthday. Her mom continued to work, but only part-time because she grew tired so easily… especially with her frequent chemo. Jessie earned enough for her mother to continue the therapy, but it was only a matter of time until her mother demanded to know where the money was coming from. She couldn't imagine McDonald's or Burger King paying Jessie _that_ much.

Jessie was told never to involve anyone who didn't have to know about our society or about the creatures that fed on humans, but after weeks of her mother pestering her, she caved and told her about her new world. Her mom didn't believe her at first, of course, and thought that Jessie was involved in some kind of illegal activity - coming home with a large 'salary' every week. So she'd dropped off the twins at a neighbor's and followed Jessie one day… right into a conflict with a handful of newborns and their 'maker'. Even after Jessie had finally noticed the presence of her mother in the shadows of an alley, she and her partner had had their hands full with the newborns. Jessie hadn't noticed that the maker had slipped away.

That was probably when it happened…."

"When what happened?" Bella asked, now leaning forward with suspense.

"The maker found Jessie's mother. He took her away and turned her," I said in a pained voice. How Jessie could recount this story frequently without getting emotional was always a mystery.

"And that's why she hates our kind," Edward noted almost sympathetically.

"That's just the beginning," I added coldly. Her mother _turning_ certainly was just the beginning of Jessie's trauma. "Jessie tried to look for her mother after they'd disposed of the newborns. For four days, she'd searched while taking care of her little twin brothers, but her mother was nowhere to be found. It was driving Jessie crazy.

"Then one evening, when Jessie went over to the neighbor's to pick up the twins after work, she was told that her mother had come by to get the kids. The neighbor added that her mother had looked almost unrecognizably beautiful, but somewhat tired because her eyes were bloodshot.

"Jessie ran back home where she heard screaming coming from her mother's bedroom. She found her mother leaning over the twins – one lay bleeding profusely from the neck while the other balled up in fear of his mother.

"Jessie screamed, 'Mom! Don't!', and when her mother looked up, Jessie said she was almost unrecognizable. Her lips were pulled over her bloodied teeth and her eyes flared a crimson red. She glared at Jessie as though she didn't recognize her own daughter, and then looked back down to finish off the bleeding child.

"Jessie instinctively rammed her body against her mother to push her away from her brothers. The vampire hit the wall, shaking the entire room. But she got up in a flash and bared her teeth at Jessie. She lunged forward and pinned her daughter down on the bed. The yet-unharmed twin screamed even louder while his brother gurgled and choked because of the blood in his throat. Jessie tried to tell her mother that they were her children, and for a split second, she seemed to have regained some of her human memory. Just as Jessie thought she might be able to talk some sense into her mother, the vampire jumped off Jessie and sank her teeth deeply into her bleeding son… so deep that she tore the boy's head off."

"Oh," gasped Bella in horror. It was all she could manage. "Oh, no…."

"Jessie had no choice but to kill her own mother – the mother who had sacrificed so much to raise three children on her own, the mother whom she loved so dearly…. When her vampire-mother grabbed the other twin and bit his neck, Jessie swiftly slipped on her gloves. The blades quickly shot out and Jessie tore at her mother. She slashed at her like she'd gone mad, and when she saw that there was no blood coming from her own mother, something snapped inside Jessie. She knew then that her mother was long dead. She was dead the minute she was turned. Jessie was suddenly calm as she continued to shred the vampire.

"When she was done, she turned to look at her last remaining family, but it had been too late for him too. The cut made by their mother in his tiny body was so deep that he'd bled profusely all over the sheets as he lay next to his dead twin. He'd barely had enough life in him to stare wide-eyed into Jessie's face, scared. 'Jess… why,' he said, before closing his eyes forever.

"'Why? Because of vampires,' Jessie answered her dead brother tenderly as she stroked his hair. She then wrapped the twins carefully with the soaked bed sheets. She managed to dispose of all the bodies before leaving home forever.

"According to Nash, Jessie was never the same after that incident. She no longer showed much human emotion since, and her days and nights were consumed with hunting and slaying."

Recounting Jessie's story exhausted me, and it only reminded me why I was so against Bella turning. I trusted Edward, strangely, but it wasn't enough to just give Bella my blessing to become a newborn.

Edward stood up wordlessly, his topaz eyes swimming in anger and guilt. I was tempted to tell him it wasn't his fault, but I didn't. I felt it might not do anything to mollify his boiling emotions because he understood what it was to be a vampire. He understand the curse of it.

"Edward? What's wrong?" Bella queried as she rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around his waist.

I saw Edward's body tense up. "Bella, I don't want you to become one of us," he said, his voice cold and void of emotion.

"That's not for you to decide. If you don't turn me, I can always ask Alice to-"

"_BELLA!_" Edward growled so loudly that I was certain he could be heard all the way in Forks. Bella recoiled and fell backwards, but I caught her in time. Edward's nostrils flared with fury, but there was only fear and sorrow in his eyes. "I don't understand _why_ you'd want to become a monster! I've already vowed to love you forever, that I'd remain by your side until the end! There would be no one else for me but you – _ever_! For all _eternity_! What more do you want?"

"I want you to hold me tighter than you can imagine you could! I want you to kiss me without holding back, and I want us to be together – intimately!" Bella yelled back, her face red with both anger and embarrassment.

"Sex? This is about _sex_?!" Edward's fists balled up so tightly that if he had an ounce of blood in his body, they'd be red right now.

"It's much more than that, Edward! You know that!"

"Do I?" Edward said sternly, his expression unreadable. "I want you too… I want you so badly that, some nights, I go insane, but I'm not going to turn you into a monster for it."

"You're not a monster! Why do you-"

Edward's fist came crashing down against a rock, pulverizing it in an instant. I held Bella back and didn't know what to make of Edward's action.

"Bella, _please_," Edward whispered in agony. "You have no idea what I've done in my past or how it felt… especially just after Carlisle had turned me. Jessie's mother's story is very tragic but it's what every newborn goes through. Newborns tend to go after family first because they would be the first familiar source of food. Please don't ask me to do this."

"You _promised_! I'm keeping my end of the bargain by getting married, Edward," Bella cried out in frustration.

So _that_ was why she was getting _married_?! So she could turn into one of them?!

Bella quickly whipped her head in my direction. "Thanks for reminding him why he was reluctant in the first place!"

"_What_? You're putting this one on _me_? Why don't you listen to Edward? He's making a helluva lot more sense than you!" I turned to Edward and annoyingly jerked my head towards Bella. "Take her home, okay? I'm going go for a walk."

Edward gave a quick nod and picked Bella up in his arms, despite her protests. I took off before they did and made my way through blurred trees towards the ocean.

The waves crashed angrily, reflecting what I felt inside. I was furious because I wanted to try and understand Bella's need to turn – justify it enough to stop myself from going crazy over the thought of possibly losing my best friend. She said it wasn't all about sex. Was it about aging then? She didn't want to grow old while Edward remained seventeen forever? But that was all vanity. Was she afraid he would leave her for younger blood once she was wrinkly? No… not Edward. Even in the short time that I've gotten to know him, I knew that he would always be loyal to her. Did she not trust his love enough?

Sex, vanity, or distrust. None of these made a good enough reason to leave one's family and friends behind forever. For the first time in my life, I felt like I no longer knew Bella.

"Hey, aren't you Kayla?" I heard an unfamiliar voice call out to me from behind. I wondered why I couldn't have a few hours of solitary peace in this part of the country. Sighing, I turned around with a forced smile to face a pretty Quileute girl about my age, maybe a little older. Well, she could have been Makah, but I couldn't tell the difference.

"Have we met?" I asked, perplexed.

"Well, yes, sorta," she said, not particularly in a friendly voice. She wasn't hostile either.

"Okay… where did we sorta meet?" I asked, arching my eyebrows in curiosity.

She didn't answer my question, but instead studied me from head to toe and back up as if sizing me up. "What do you think of Jacob Black?" she finally asked.


	16. Chapter 15

Northern Lights

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 15 – Revelation

"What?" This caught me off guard. Jacob was nowhere in my thoughts and suddenly this girl has just forced him into my mind. "What do you mean?"

"Do you _like_ him?" she asked irritatingly as she crossed her arms over her chest, her dark, brown eyes piercing my green ones with antagonism.

"Look," I snarled. If the girl was jealous because she _thinks_ I have a thing for him, I couldn't give a flying donut hole about it. Right now, my mind was preoccupied with my best friend's threatened mortality. "I don't know who you are, and even if I did, I don't see how it's any of your business. But just to get you off my rear end, the answer is 'no'. I barely know him, and in fact, he's a bit of a jerk, if you ask me."

The girl swished her long, braided hair back behind her shoulders and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. A smug, satisfied look flitted across her face. "I'm Leah. We met in the forest, but not officially. You probably don't recognize me because I look different right now."

It took a while for her words to register, but then it all clicked. "Oh! You're a … Oh, I see. Well, um… nice to meet you in human form... I guess…." I extended out my hand but Leah merely stared at it with arched eyebrows. Something about her reminded me a lot of Jessie – guarded, angry, and lonely.

"So what are you into? Music? Fashion?" Leah asked in a tone that suggested she wasn't really interested in my hobbies. She did the once over with her eyes again and noted, "Okay, maybe not fashion. Sports? Powwows?"

I frowned at her too-obvious observation of my lack of style. "Look, I don't mean to be rude or anything, Leah… but I was in the middle of doing some serious contemplation and I'd appreciate it if you-"

"Why don't you come over for dinner?"

"Huh?"

"Well, it's going to be at my cousin Emily's. The boys are going to be there. Why don't you join us?"

I blinked a few times, perplexed by the sudden invitation and flustered at the thought of seeing Jacob sooner than scheduled. "I…uh… I don't know. I wouldn't want to impose-"

Leah rolled her eyes and let her long arms drop to her sides in exasperation. "If it would be an imposition on our part, I wouldn't be inviting you. Sam actually sent me to find you at Bella's, but then I saw you running down this way so I thought I'd try and catch up with you."

"Oh… Well, I suppose if it's alright with Sam…," I said unsurely. My mind raced through potential excuses to not go, but I was coming up with nothing.

"You're fast. I don't think even Jacob runs as fast as you." I thought she sounded impressed, but it could have been my imagination.

"Thanks, I guess. That's what we're trained for – speed and accuracy. But I suppose I'm faster than most Slayers. It's a curse." I realized I was beginning to ramble so I swiftly changed the subject. "Can I bring Bella along?"

For the first time, I saw an amused grin on one corner of Leah's mouth. "That would be so interesting to watch – believe me – but maybe next time. We're going to be discussing some new routes with Sam for tomorrow's patrol. I don't think Bella would find it that interesting."

"And you want me to be in on this discussion?"

"You're going to be partnering up with Jake, aren't you? So you're on our team."

I cringed slightly. "Let's get one thing straight. I'm most certainly _not_ on _your_ team. I'm a Slayer, so if anything, I'm on _my_ team. Are we clear on that?"

A hearty laugh escaped Leah as she waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, Whatever. You'd be perfect!"

"Perfect for _what_?" I asked with my arms crossed.

"Never mind," she said while chuckling. "I'll have my brother, Seth, pick you up from Bella's this evening at five. Wear something nice."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't you have a skirt or dress or something?"

"Wait. Didn't you say this was like a dinner meeting to discuss tomorrow's patrol?"

"Yeah."

"Why do I have to dress up?"

Leah's amused smile quickly disappeared. "I suppose you don't _have_ to. Just a suggestion. Whatever. I'll see you later then."

She was about to bound off, but as she whirled around, she rammed right into a body that wasn't there just a split second ago. Leah's body bounced back like a rubber ball, and had Nash not swiftly circled his arm around her waist, she would have landed right on her rear end.

"Nash! You're back sooner this time!" I grinned. I hadn't had a lot of time with him ever since he came to Washington. He seemed to be off somewhere and being secretive about his whereabouts. Jessie never pushed him for information because she trusted him explicitly, and no one else dared to question his actions – not even his buddy, Linc.

Leah glanced up and stared at Nash in awe before she wiggled her way out of Nash's arms. "Um… thanks."

"No problem," Nash flashed his charming smile - the exact one that triggered my crush on him.

"I… didn't see you coming. You're a friend of Kayla's?"

Oh, right. They'd never met. "Sorry – Leah, this is Nash Harrow. Nash, this is Leah," I said in a perfunctory introduction.

"It's Leah Clearwater. Just call me Leah." They briefly shook hands, but the dazzled look on Leah remained plastered on her face. She was obviously taken by him.

"Nash wasn't there at the meeting at the clearing, so you weren't able to meet him. He's second in command," I said, noting the sudden disappointment in her expression.

"You're a Slayer then?" She quickly took her hand back, but I saw the hesitancy in her action.

"Yes, I am. So I guess you're a Pack member? You're obviously not a vampire."

"Oh puhleez," the pretty Quileute scoffed. "I am most definitely not a reeking bloodsucker."

"My apologies -" Nash chuckled and gently took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Leah."

The smitten look returned to Leah's face, but I couldn't blame her. Charming women was yet another one of Nash's talents, which often came in handy when luring female werewolves and shapeshifters into secluded places for the execution.

"Erm… would you like to come over for dinner as well? I'd just invited Kayla. Well, it's more like a strategic planning session with the boys…."

Nash arched an inquisitive eyebrow and glanced at me. He shifted his eyes back to Leah. "I've still quite a lot to do, but maybe I can squeeze dinner in. Will Jacob Black be there?"

"Yes, he will. Why do you ask?" Leah's eyes were now a little wary.

"Just curious. I'll be there then."

"Great," Leah smiled. "I'll see you both later then!"

Leah skipped over the sand in her agile frame and disappeared beyond the trees that lined the beach. As soon as she was gone, I pinched the back of Nash's arm.

"Ow, ow! What was that for?" Nash gritted his teeth as he rubbed the sore spot.

"You don't like dinner get-togethers. What are you up to?" I narrowed my eyes into thin, suspicious slits and crossed my arms. Tapping my foot on the sand felt awkward so I opted to just shifting my weight on one leg.

Nash shrugged innocently. "I'm just being your mentor. You don't think I'd send you off to have dinner with no less than ten werewolves, do you?" I was about to protest when he cut me off with a raised index finger. "Plus, I'm curious about this guy you seem to have fallen for."

My jaw dropped in appalled confusion. "Excuse me? I've _fallen_ for someone? How come I don't know about this?"

"Because you're in denial," Nash grinned. "But I'm also going to be there to keep an eye on him. Kayla, just remember that there's no future with him, alright? He's a monster."

"_Who_ are you talking about?!" I balled my fists and I was getting quite annoyed with his accusation that I'd been charmed by a werewolf. It was silly to ask this question though. There was only one person in the Pack who caught my attention – that tall, long-haired jerk. "Never mind. Don't answer that question," I snapped. "You're wrong, you know. What makes you even think that I could fall for a werewolf? It's insulting."

Nash's smile vanished and was replaced by all seriousness. "Kayla, I know you. When you were recounting what went on in the meeting that I missed, as soon as you said 'Jacob Black', I saw it in your eyes."

"Saw _what_, exactly?"

"You used to give me the look, once upon a time," he said reminiscently. "I hadn't seen it in a long while, but I saw it – when you mentioned his name. _Jacob Black_." Nash began to chuckle. "I wish I had a mirror right now, because there it is again."

"What?" I quickly turned away, certain that even through my russet skin he could see the redness in my cheeks. "You're being stupid, Nash. Jacob is smug, unfriendly, and… and…"

"Rude?"

"Yes!"

"Insolent?"

"Yes!"

"Handsome?"

"Yes!" I paused as Nash laughed lightly. "No! No, he isn't! I mean, he is, but that has nothing to do with-"

"-why you like him so much?"

"Right."

Nash laughed again, and it was hard to remain angry with him, but I had to make an effort.

"Dammit, Nash! You're confusing me now. Look, I don't like Jacob Black. Can we just keep it at that and move on?"

The somber look returned to Nash's handsome face as he placed both his hands on my shoulders, squeezing them firmly. "I hope so," he said, almost in a desperate whisper. "Always remember, he's a monster and you're a Slayer. Nothing is going to change that. _Nothing_."

I was at a loss for words for what seemed like a full minute, and all I could do was nod my head. It wasn't often that Nash got _this_ serious about me.

"I'd better get back to Bella's," I managed to say as Nash released my shoulders. "I got into a bit of a disagreement with her so I need to talk things over with her."

"Sure," said Nash, the charming smile returning. "But don't you rarely argue with her? At least that's what you told me before."

"This is different." I knew there was an icy coldness in my voice, but Nash knew me enough to not push the subject for now. "Are you still staying at the Manitou Lodge? Maybe you can use the spare bedroom next to Charlie's. I can ask him."

"No, that won't be necessary," Nash answered too quickly. "I'll be going out and about at odd hours so it's more convenient for me to stay at the Lodge."

"Oh," I said, unable to keep the disappointment from my voice. "Well, why don't you at least come and meet Bella? I sorta mentioned you, I'm sure she'd love to meet you."

Nash's hazel eyes glimmered as the setting sun shone against them. His lips curved up in an uncertain smile. "Well, I suppose I'm curious about your best friend, too."

I'd beaten Nash back to Bella's house, which was a five-minute run, or a fifteen minute drive. Since becoming a Slayer, cars seemed obsolete for running any distances shorter than fifty miles. I slowed down to a jog as I approached the part of the curb directly in front of the house. Nash caught up quickly and suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Ouch! What are you-"

Nash's hand swiftly covered my mouth while his eyes fiercely shot at the quiet Swan residence. "Vampires," he hissed. "Four of them…" Suddenly, there was a look of relief in his expression, and he dropped his hand to his side. "Carlisle is one of them. Must be his family. You should be okay."

"_I_ should be okay? _You're_ coming with me."

"Maybe another time."

I hadn't had time to protest when I heard my name called out. It was Bella. She was waving her arm frantically from the door, beckoning me to get in the house. Glancing back at Nash, I pled with the puppy dog expression that I knew he couldn't resist.

"That's not fair, Kayla," Nash grumbled with a contradicting grin.

"Kayla!" Bella called out again.

"Hang on!" I shouted back as I wrapped my hand around Nash's wrist and began dragging him towards the house. "She doesn't sound too happy. Look, maybe if you come with me, she'll go easy on me – not that I did anything wrong in the first place, but I'd rather you were there with me."

"Emmett and Rosalie are here too," Bella said as she rushed forward to meet us. Smiling at Nash, she extended her hand out to him. "Hello! I'm Bella."

Did she say Emmett and Rosalie? Well, isn't that just dandy. The two vampires that probably wouldn't mourn if I dropped dead right now.

"Nash Harrow. It's a pleasure to meet you. Kayla's told me so much about you."

Bella's brown eyes widened as she turned to me. "I wish I could say the same about you, Nash. Kayla never told me she had such a handsome _friend_."

I grimaced when she italicized the word 'friend' in her voice. I just _knew_ she was going to jump to the wrong conclusion, and that was why I didn't want Nash to tag along when he wanted to be my 'escort' for Bella's wedding. Well, at least now I can explain that he was only my mentor.

With Bella in the lead, Nash and I marched towards the short flight of steps that led up to the main door of the house. Nash inched closer and dropped his head towards mine.

"So who are Emmett and Rosalie?" he whispered urgently. "The color from your face drained a bit when Bella mentioned their names."

"It's nothing. I nearly decapitated Emmett and Rosalie is his mate."

Nash nearly pulled my arm out of its socket when he grabbed it and abruptly stopped dead in his tracks. "Nash, will you _please_ stop doing that? I need my arm in my line of work!"

"Kayla, you know that you can't just _nearly_ kill a vampire and not expect a payback. And he's got his mate in there? Why don't you just shoot yourself if you've got such a death wish? At least it'll be quick."

I sighed and was about to go into my usual spiel in defense of the Cullens as I seem to surprisingly often do with my fellow Slayers, but then this was Emmett and Rosalie. I wasn't sure if _they_ were anything like Edward, Alice, or Carlisle.

"Well, if they try anything funny, there's two of us," I hissed as I retrieved my arm from his grip. "You can take Carlisle and I can take on Emmett, Rosalie, and whoever the fourth bloodsucker is. Happy?"

"Make sure you have your gloves on," he whispered again. I rolled my eyes as I slipped them on. Nash never took his off, even when he goes to sleep. That was fine for him because he had impeccable control of his emotions and therefore could control those blades even in his sleep. Jessie was pretty much the same. That was not the case with the rest of us.

Bella glanced over her shoulder as she reached the top landing right in front of the door. "What are you two whispering about?"

"Nothing," Nash smiled at her. "Just asking Kayla out on a date."

I groaned, knowing Nash was enjoying Bella's misunderstanding of our relationship. Bella's brown eyes beamed as she shifted her gaze towards me, wagging an eyebrow. "By the way, Carlisle has a few questions to ask of you Kayla. But I suspect Nash might be able to answer them as well."

A look of shocked surprise flitted across Nash's face as he turned to me. "She knows about us being Slayers," I explained. "She kinda has to know since she's involved in all the vampire-werewolf-shapeshifter thing here in Forks. She's about the only normal human in the loop… if you can call Bella 'normal'."

"Gee, thanks," Bella scoffed as she opened the door. I quickly followed her in, but Nash stood outside, hesitating.

"What's the matter, Nash? Come on!" I urged him.

He was staring at his feet for a few seconds, then his head snapped up. "Aw heck," he muttered, his eyes glinting in determination. "They probably already know by now."

"Know what?"

Nash ignored my question and strode past me towards the living room. I rushed to his side, and as soon as we stepped over the threshold dividing the living room from the hallway, Emmett and Rosalie instantly jumped back, growling and hissing. Their golden eyes burned with rage as they bared their teeth ferociously, their noses twitching in disgust. Nash and I instinctively leapt back, the blades of our gloves having already shot out.

Carlisle quickly stepped between us, his arms raised to stop us. "No! We're here to discuss Jasper!"

"Emmett! Rosalie! Just calm down!" It was Edward. I should have guessed the fourth would be Edward. Alice wouldn't have been able to leave Jasper's side, and I was sure that Esme was being the mother that she is and looking after both Jasper and Alice.

"Please," Carlisle pleaded as he turned to us, beckoning us to lower our weapons. "Nash, I'm glad you're here. I didn't know how to get a hold of you so I thought our next best option was to talk to Kayla."

Nash's blades retracted quickly as he straightened up. I followed suit and stood by him, slightly confused as to what was going on. I knew the Cullens were concerned about Jasper's strange wound. But what did they think they'd get out of me? I'd never seen a wound like it in my experience.

"You can't possibly trust _him_, Carlisle!" Rosalie shrieked as she pointed an accusing finger at Nash.

"Yes, _we_ can trust him! I'll vouch for him," snapped the doctor. Everyone took a step back in surprise. It wasn't like Carlisle to raise his voice the way he did.

"We can barely trust the dogs in LaPush," muttered Emmett as he crossed his thick arms over his chest. "How can we trust _this_ werewolf?"

_What? _

My mind momentarily went blank. What was Emmett implying? Suddenly, a conversation I had with Edward in which he explained about the Quileute Pack came back to me….

"_I would have thought that Nash had already explained all this," he had said._

"_Well, Nash _is_ our werewolf expert, but I suppose there are some things he doesn't know," I had retorted back. "We're pretty certain that Nayeh werewolves can't do that – they just communicate with each other mentally. Skinwalkers – the _regular_ kinds – can't even do _that_. I guess the Quileute werewolves are a different species altogether."_

"_I guess Nash hasn't told you then."_

"_Told me what?" I had asked defensively._

"_You should ask him. If he hasn't told you, then I'm certainly not at liberty to say anything."_

Back then, did Edward believe that Nash was a…. That was impossible. He's a Slayer, just like the rest of us on the team. He was among the best Slayers in the world!

I turned to Nash, waiting for him to contradict the ridiculous allegation, but as he slowly turned his head to look at me, I saw guilt in his eyes.


	17. Chapter 16

Northern Lights  
by kctjohnson

CHAPTER 16 – Too Many Surprises

The silence was crushing me from the inside, and my knees weakened as the vertigo threatened to wipe out all thoughts from my mind. I could literally see nothing in my head. Was this some kind of defense mechanism? But defense from what? All I was conscious of was the shortness of my breath, and had it not been for the sudden burst of laughter from Rosalie, I might have fainted on the spot.

"Oh this is precious! Was it supposed to be a secret?"

"Rosalie!" Carlisle's voice was stern, with a finality that clearly told Rosalie to keep her mouth shut.

My knees finally gave in and I felt helpless as my body quickly descended towards the floor. Nash caught me and scooped me off my feet. He was so warm… was he always this warm? I forced my brain – which felt as though it was losing a million brain cells per second – to recall an incident when I was physically this close to Nash. Surely there was a time when our hands touched, or even just our skin. But I couldn't think of any. There were times when I'd reached out to him, but he'd always conveniently gotten away. And the few times I'd managed to touch him, he'd moved away so quickly that there hadn't been any time for me to register the temperature of his body. The car… I'd sat next to him when they arrived in Forks. He had tried to keep a little distance between us and I never thought twice about it being warm in the car. I had assumed it was because there were five us cramped in such a limited space.

I'd always been dense when it came to identifying enemies, but the others weren't. Did _everyone_ know about Nash being a werewolf? Everyone except me? They're all okay with working alongside a being they're supposed to kill?

"Over here, Nash, on the couch." It was Bella's voice, but it sounded distant and a little muffled, like she was in another room. "Edward, can you grab that cushion please?"

I stared up at Nash as he carried me in his arms. His hazel eyes gazed into mine as though he was searching for something… for forgiveness? There was such guilt and shame in them. I'd never seen Nash look this pathetically sorry before. I wanted to wrap my arms around him but couldn't. All these years… we'd spent time together almost everyday. He taught me all I knew, including how to hate monsters… and he'd been one himself all along.

I felt sick. I wasn't sure if it was from the knowledge that he was a monster or from having been betrayed. Maybe both. Maybe just the latter.

"Hey, she's turning green," said Emmett. "Maybe I should go get a bucket."

"Under the sink," Bella directed Emmett as she fluffed the cushion that Edward placed on the couch.

Nash slowly lowered me, and I didn't realize that my fists had tightened around the front of his shirt to the point where blood was draining away from my hands. Nash placed his large, warm hands over mine, rubbing them gently until I loosened them just enough for him to stand up straight. It was a good thing I was more shocked than angry, or my blades would have shot straight into Nash's gut.

Numbness washed over me as soon as my body sank into the couch. I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to hear or see anything. Nothing was real anymore.

Bella waved her hand over my face, but it looked like a blurry figure moving in slow motion. I just didn't care enough to focus my vision, or my ears for that matter. The room was soon filled with chatter that all sounded distant. I wanted to drown everything out, but to my dismay, I could hear each word they were saying even with me being in a daze. I closed my eyes, but that didn't help keep their voices out of my head.

"Now what?" Emmett said as he placed something next to the couch. Probably my puke receptacle.

"I'll sit by her while you all discuss whatever it is you need to discuss." I felt the indentation at the foot of the couch as Bella sat down. "Kayla? You okay?"

"Look, can we get on with this before Charlie returns?" Rosalie said impatiently.

"Yes, good idea," Carlisle agreed. "Nashoba, I need your help. It's my son… well, my adoptive son, Jasper. He's been hurt and from what I've examined, it looks like a cursed wound. This is the first time I've actually seen it, but I remembered you describing such a curse back when we first met."

"What does the wound look like, exactly?" Nash inquired curiously.

"He's had several cuts throughout his body, but instead of healing immediately like we always do, the edges of his cuts turned green. Just as you described too, the centers were all black."

"Any green pus?"

There was a brief moment of silence. "Yes," Carlisle answered somberly. "They started forming this morning. That was when I decided to look for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere. Nashoba, please help us. I don't even know where to start on this one."

I heard Nash pace back and forth, and I could only imagine all heads turning to follow him but I didn't bother to open my eyes to check.

"He's not going to help us," growled Rosalie. "He wants us all dead!"

"Rose, I'm warning you," snapped Edward. There was such ferocity in his voice that it sent chills up my arms.

"Well? In the end, he's a Slayer, isn't he? The only reason we're going to be working together is because of those shape-shifting dogs coming up from Arizona!"

"Rosalie, that's enough." Somehow, the calmness in Edward's voice made him sound more terrifying than when he had snapped at her.

"Oh come on, Edward! Even your little, unconscious friend over there almost killed Emmett!"

Wow. Rosalie really didn't know when to stop pushing Edward. She was practically asking for it.

"Emm, take her outside before I do anything I know I'll regret."

"You wouldn't," Emmett snarled at Edward. It seemed that even good-natured Emmett didn't like Edward threatening to hurt his soul mate.

"Will you three take this outside? It's not going to help Jasper with you arguing," Carlisle said in exasperation. "Nashoba will help us. Won't you?"

"Well, I do owe you my life," Nash remarked as he seemed to have ceased his pacing. "This curse is hardly ever used. That would explain why you've never seen it in your long existence. I've only seen it once myself."

"Why isn't it done often? It seems it does some real damage," Edward noted. "Jasper hasn't gained consciousness yet."

"Well, if he does, you might want to lock him up until we find the cure." Nash's voice wasn't as grim as he would have wanted to sound. "The curse isn't performed often because it renders the initiator useless for a few weeks. It can only be performed by a Nayeh, and because of their very nature, a Nayeh would usually think twice about performing this curse."

"Why is that?" Edward asked curiously.

"Another Nayeh would try to kill him, or her. Given the weak state of the one casting the curse, he'd likely be killed easily. No matter how close a bond two Nayehs seem to form, if power is in question, they would kill the other without hesitation. The very method in which a person turns into a Skinwalker in the first place is morbid."

"A Skinwalker?" Rosalie asked with minimal genuine interest.

"All Nayehs were Skinwalkers before their descent into their current form. Skinwalkers weren't born into being shapeshifters. They _become_ one by choice. When a person wants to become a Skinwalker, they sacrifice a loved one, and it usually has to be the person they care about the most. So, a mother might sacrifice her own child, or a man might sacrifice his own parent."

"What do you mean by 'sacrifice'?" Bella sounded morbidly curious.

"The loved one is cursed to death," explained Nash. "The Skinwalker-wannabe asks for the help of a Navajo witch. I don't mean the riding-on-a-broomstick-with-a-pointy-hat variety. Skinwalkers are also known as Navajo witches. Anyway, a curse is placed on the loved one at the request of the person wanting to become one himself or herself. Then, they simply wait for the loved on to die."

"That's… horrible!" Bella exclaimed in a shaky voice. "How could anyone wish death on their loved one? They don't really love them then!"

"No, they don't," Nash responded, his tone flat and emotionless. "Skinwalkers have no ability to love. And they prove it by killing the ones they feel closest to. The Nayeh are worse. Skinwalkers would at least think twice before trying to kill another Skinwalker. The Nayeh wouldn't hesitate at all if it meant gaining more power.

"This is what concerns me about the pack of Nayeh that came out this way. And we're not talking about a dozen shapeshifters here. I don't have the exact figure, but from what little I picked up from the ones I was following, there are well over seventy of them."

Bella gasped while the rest fell silent.

"Anyway, make sure Jasper stays locked up, if not tied up."

"He won't be Jasper, will he?" Carlisle said, almost in a pained whisper.

"No, he won't. Not the Jasper you all know anyway."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked concernedly as she shifted her weight further to the edge of the couch.

"It's meant to drain the life force out of the victim. But before the victim dies, they try to contaminate those around him in order to get their power too. Whoever attacked Jasper knew it was going to be worth risking his own life before he absorbed Jasper's life force, or in this case, his powers as a vampire. The Nayeh would also absorb the powers of all that Jasper contaminates.

"Now, if the victim is human, death comes relatively quickly. But because Jasper is a vampire, the process is much slower, but he will die if we don't get the cure. By 'die', I mean he would burst into flames and cease to exist, of course."

"What's the cure?" Carlisle demanded, his voice less steady.

"You need to find the Nayeh that placed the curse on Jasper and kill it. And you're going to have to move quickly because frankly, I don't know how long he has. Once he becomes conscious, he may not have that long."

"How long?" Edward couldn't disguise the concern in his voice.

"After gaining consciousness? I would guess a few days."

"Oh… Oh…." Even Rosalie couldn't say much more than that as both her pale hands covered her mouth in horror.

"We don't even know how to find these seventy or so shapeshifters, much less determine which one is the one who put the curse," Edward growled in frustration. "Where do we even start?"

"Jacob Black."

Silence followed while my mind swam in a hazy pool of consciousness.

"What did you say, Kayla?" Bella placed a hand on my leg as she addressed me.

I hadn't realized I'd said anything. My mind was still in a murky place, even though I'd heard the conversation around me. Did I say his name? Why? And what was the question? Why did I answer 'Jacob Black'? I rushed to wade through the haze in my head and finally caught up with what was being discussed, and opened my eyes.

"Jacob," I repeated slowly. "He was the one who saved Jasper. Maybe -- he saw the Nayeh that attacked him."

"That's right," Carlisle agreed, a little enthusiasm returning to his voice. "Bella, can you arrange a meeting with Jacob? I don't think he'd appreciate a phone call from any of us."

There was an almost tangible hesitation in Bella's expression. She was still upset with him for not contacting her at all. She'd already tried to call him once but Billy had told her that Jacob was out with friends, which Bella knew was a lie because she had heard Jacob giving his father instructions in the background.

"Of course. I'll call him right now." Bella finally agreed when the silence became a bit awkward. Besides, it was silly to put her own pride before Jasper's "life". She rose from the couch and headed towards the kitchen.

The sick feeling returned and I felt my stomach churn. My mind desperately tried to process the idea of Nash being a monster. How was it possible for him to remain on the team of Slayers without anyone else knowing about it? And why was he slaying his own kind? The more I tried to understand, the more lost I became. Definitely more nauseous.

I couldn't take it anymore -- I needed some air. I was out of the house in a flash and I ignored the chorus of voices calling out my name from the living room, especially Nash's. How could he betray us? How could he betray _me_? That thought only fueled my anger towards him.

The cold air stopped me at the foot of the steps of the house. Where was I going to go? I wished I were back in Phoenix. I wanted to be with my mother and try to remember what it was like being normal again – in a world where vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters were none of my concern. But I knew, too, that there was no going back. I had never resented being a Slayer _this_ much before.

"Kayla – I'm… so, so sorry." Nash's voice was annoyingly apologetic, pathetic. I couldn't turn around and face him. "What do you want me to do, Kayla? Please, look at me."

I didn't know what I wanted from Nash. I searched my feelings and wondered if what I felt for him now was hatred or just anger.

I heard Nash take a few tentative steps toward me. "I repulse you, don't I? I knew it would. That's why I couldn't tell you. I didn't want you to be like this with me."

"Does-" I paused, afraid to ask what I needed to ask. "Does anyone else on the team? Am I the only ignorant fool?"

"You're not a fool!" Nash said quickly, taking a few more steps and reaching the spot where I stood. "The only person who knows is Jessie. She's been helping me keep my identity a secret by using some of her mind-controlling abilities on the others."

Jessie? Of all people, Jessie was the last I imagined to help a werewolf, or rather, a shapeshifter.

"I recruited Jessie, and I had explained my background to her just days before completing her training. I only told her because I needed her help to protect my identity."

"What about before Jessie came on the team? Who protected you?"

"Another Slayer who had the same ability as Jessie. He retired as soon as we found Jess," Nash explained slowly. "You see, I only keep one Mind Shaper on my team at any one time."

"Your team?" It was strange to hear Nash refer to the group as being his team because we were always reminded that Jessie was the leader. I whirled around and looked directly into Nash's saddened hazel eyes. He smiled, but there was no joy there.

"I've led the U.S. Division of Slayers for a long time now, managing the teams across the country from our Arizona headquarters. It's been kept a secret to keep us strong. If our foes found out who I was, I'd be the main target. I have to stay alive to ensure the Slayer Teams can operate. Only the heads of each region know that I'm the Chief Slayer, and the knowledge is passed down to the next Regional Head. And only Jessie knows of my being – a monster. The memories of former Slayers are always altered or erased."

It was a lot to take in, and I shook my head, denying all this new information. But I knew I had to accept it. "How… how long have you been Chief Slayer?"

"Since 1893."

My insides churned and twisted. I must've had such a distressed or horrified look because Nash gasped in dismay. I saw his hands shake as he raised them up slowly. He gently cupped my face and peered into my eyes pleadingly. I almost pulled away by instinct, but I'd hurt Nash enough as it were, so I put in all my effort to remain still.

"I hope you can understand why I chose to be a Slayer and slay my own kind. I -," Nash hesitated and he looked as though he wanted to turn away, but he didn't. "I absolutely, and _completely_, detest what I am. I didn't choose this life. It's been passed down from my mother's side, but she never knew much about her Native American ancestors, much less the recessive shapeshifter gene she carried. She grew up thinking she was solely of French descent, but she was only half French. By the time I was born, she had discovered she was a quarter Choctaw, and a quarter Quileute."

Nash shook his head and scoffed, as though he was remembering some sick and ironic joke. "She named me Nashoba, which means 'wolf' in Choctaw. I don't think she ever realized how truly appropriate that was.

"No one ever could explain what I was going through in the first stages of my phasing. I was terrified, and angry that I didn't know what was happening to me. I had never phased before my parents because I always took off into the woods whenever I felt my whole body shake uncontrollably. Then I always returned home, covered in blood. My parents became afraid of me, and one night, my father tried to kill me in my sleep. I woke up in time, and when I saw his knife swiftly come down upon me, I phased. I'd lost consciousness at that point, or at least my human conscience. When I returned to my human form-"

Nash couldn't continue, and the bloody event that ensued was only too evident in his pained eyes. Nash was wrong. I could understand his pain all too well. His hands were still upon my cheeks, and I raised mine to place them over his. Nash's eyes widened in shock and he tried to pull away, but I kept them there.

"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did," I said slowly. "You're still you, no matter what you are or what mistakes you made in the past. You're still the same Nash Harrow I've always known and – cared for."

Somewhere inside, I still wanted to deny Nash being a shapeshifter. After all, I'd never seen him transform, and even though Nash had admitted it himself, there was a tiny sliver of hope that I was clinging onto – that this was all a nightmare. I would wake up and it would be as it was before – that Nash never lied to me, and that he was a regular Slayer. Human.

I glanced up and saw the hope in Nash's eyes. They glistened, wet on the surface. I held my breath because I knew then that I could very well hurt him if I didn't find it in myself to truly accept him as he was, and forgive him for lying to me all these years.

With his hands still upon my cheeks, Nash slowly bent down. At first, I was confused as to what he was doing. I froze in place as I watched his face come closer to mine. My heart began to pound quickly, erratically. I had wanted Nash to kiss me so many times in the past, but he had clearly pushed me away. His movements suddenly seemed like one of those cliché slow-motions you see in movies. I could see every perfect line on his handsome face, every perfect curve on his lips, and the deep, hypnotizing gaze of his eyes. And the first thought that came to my mind was… _Don't!_

I didn't even have time to push him away. It had all happened so fast that I was shoved into a state of shock when Nash's body slammed into a tree. He was instantly back on his feet, growling at his attacker with his blades having already protruded from his gloves. I quickly followed Nash's furious glare and found a tall, muscular boy crouching on one knee where he had landed after slamming into Nash.

Too shocked to speak and not understanding what had just transpired, all I could manage was an unintelligible grunt.

The growl that emitted from the back of Nash's throat sounded inhuman. I had never heard him make such a sound before, and I quickly recognized it as that of a canine.

"So," Nash snarled as he narrowed his infuriated hazel eyes at his attacker. "You're Jacob Black."

Jacob didn't answer but merely curled his lips over his teeth in a growl. I could see the outline of his body tremble in anger, and I wondered what Nash had ever done to him to trigger such fury in Jacob.

Then again, I had never done anything to him and he hated _me_. Maybe Jacob's default emotion towards strangers was pure hatred. How could Bella ever have loved him? How could _I_ even be intrigued by him?

"_Stay_… _away_ – " Jacob's teeth grinded against each other as he struggled to speak through his seething anger. If he said anything beyond that – and I think he might have – I couldn't understand a word of it.

My eyes darted back and forth between Nash and Jacob. My heart pounded so loudly against my chest that I was certain it was an inviting call to the vampires in the house. Sure enough, out of curiosity – and probably having caught the scent of Jacob – the Cullens were all at the top of the steps in front of the door within seconds. Bella wove her way through between Emmett and Edward, pushing them aside as much as she could in order to get to where I was standing.

"What's going on here?!" Bella said in a panic. She kept shifting her eyes towards the neighbors' houses, probably hoping that they couldn't see what was going on. She wasn't about to take that chance though. "Jacob?"

There was a pained look in Bella's eyes. Jacob had not come around looking for her since his return, and hadn't even bothered to return her phone calls. And the first reunion was with a vastly changed Jacob Black, or I assumed he _was_ changed in her eyes. He certainly had not been the ball of sunshine that Bella had made him out to be in her letters.

"Hey, Bella." Jacob's glare did not leave Nash, and my mentor returned the favor by doing the same.

I could tell that Bella wanted to address Jacob some more, but the charged air simply prevented it. No one dared to speak, or move, for that matter. All that was audible was the heavy breathing from Jacob and the rustling leaves in the trees as the branches swayed in the cold wind. Nash was so silent that one wondered if he was breathing at all.

"Jacob," said a voice from the cluster of vampires. My eyes nervously shifted towards that voice, wondering who the fool was to address Jacob when his agitated state was this heightened. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be surprised that it was Edward. "We actually were trying to get a hold of you. We're glad you came."

"Are you?" Jacob snarled as his eyes finally tore away from Nash.

Edward eyed me expectantly. What? Was I supposed to say something?

"Too bad Jasper isn't here," Emmett said as he leaned his head towards Rosalie. "It's getting a wee bit intense here even for my liking."

Edward quickly placed the back of his hand against Emmett's chest to stop him from saying anything more that might annoy the already irritated werewolf. Bella was about to take a step towards Jacob, but Edward placed his other hand gently on her shoulder. He shook his head at her and then stared at me as if he were cueing me. The problem was I didn't know what I was supposed to do!

"Jacob?" I finally said uncertainly.

The ferocity in Jacob's eyes almost instantly diminished, replaced by a pained look. This time, however, he didn't look at me. His gaze moved to Bella, and the agony in his eyes intensified. Or was it… guilt? Guilty about what though? So much, and such varying emotions, streaked across his face, most of which I could only describe as that of gentleness and adoration. I felt a prickle deep within my chest. Or was it a stab?

"Jacob," I repeated a little more sternly. "We need to ask you about the moment you rescued Jasper."

Jacob's eyes slowly shifted towards me. I had half expected his expression to instantaneously change to one of all-business, if not a glare, so I was startled – to say the least – that the gentleness in his eyes remained as he looked into my eyes. There he was – the Jacob that Bella had described in her letters. Well, part of it at least. I still hadn't witnessed his "sunshine-like, infectious smile". But a little bit of Bella's Jacob finally appeared before me.

"He's not going to help us," Rosalie whispered to Emmett low enough that it would not have been audible to normal human ears.

"What do you want to know?" said Jacob, his voice tender yet authoritative.

I glanced at Edward, who seemed pleased that I was doing what he expected me to do, I then turned to Nash. I had never seen such a blank, unreadable expression on his face before, and I suddenly felt like I was on shaky ground. I'd never given it a thought, but I always depended on Nash's approval before taking action – whether he spoke it or just expressed it through his gaze. Now it felt as though he was pushing me away, and I had to make decisions on my own.

Turning back to Jacob, I felt my throat go dry. "Could… Did you see anyone near Jasper when you found him? It might have been in human or wolf form -"

"He or she will have been in human form when performing the curse," Nash interjected. There was an animalistic wariness in his hazel eyes which bore into Jacob's blackish-brown ones. "Did you -"

Nash stopped mid-sentence before turning to me. It was evident that Jacob was not willing to answer any questions coming from Nash, and he knew better than to provoke him.

"Please, Jacob. We need to know," Bella suddenly spoke out from the steps in front of the house. "Jasper's life depends on it."

Although Jacob didn't respond to Bella's comment, his expression said it all _– Why would I want to help a bloodsucker?_

I took a cautious step towards the tall, imposing Quileute boy. His eyes followed me but he remained motionless.

"Did you see anyone?" I asked once again, hoping he would answer this time. I was itching to get away from here. The air was too heavy, with a family of vampires standing at the door, my mentor who no longer seemed to be the same person, and Jacob looking at me with such tenderness in his eyes. Yet all I wanted to do was get away.

I had been curious about Jacob through Bella's descriptions. I had never met anyone who could brighten up his surroundings by his mere presence – at least that was how Bella had described him. Not seeing the Jacob she saw made me obsessed with finding the true Jacob – not the sour, permanently-annoyed boy I seem to have found in his place. But it was all _curiosity_, wasn't it? Like a child who was curious about a circus act she'd never seen before? Or was it much more? I didn't want to think about it. I couldn't let myself feel anything for Jacob apart from curiosity – he was a shapeshifter, after all. A monster.

There he was – standing and finally directing his gentle gaze in my direction, and it all seemed too much all at once. I had to leave. The silence was suffocating.

"I saw several of them," Jacob finally spoke, much to my relief, and everyone else's. "For a split second, I saw a guy crouching over the leech… over Jasper," he quickly corrected himself. "But my attention quickly turned to a figure coming at me from behind. It was happening so quickly. I was only able to catch a glimpse of my attacker's foot when I blocked it from hitting me. He then took off after that but I'm pretty sure I hurt him. Judging from his speed, he wasn't human, but he wasn't a lee…vampire, either. All I could tell was that his skin was dark… then again, so were the rest of them, to varying degrees."

"Please tell us about the one closest to Jasper," said Carlisle. There was nothing commanding in his tone, and Jacob let his guard down for that brief moment.

"He definitely looked Native. Again, I only saw him for a split second when I was attacked from behind. All I know is that I'd never seen him before, so I can only assume he's one of the Nayehs you've all been talking about."

"Native," mumbled Nash as he rubbed his chin. "That won't narrow it down enough to find him in time. There were well over a hundred headed out this way when I last tracked them, and at least half were Native. It could be any one of them."

"I guess I wasn't much use to you then." A cold, sarcasm returned to Jacob's voice as he glared daggers at Nash.

Edward took a step forward so that he was in front of Bella and the rest of his family. "Jacob, if you saw him again, would you be able to recognize him?"

A funny, scoffing sound escaped Jacob as he narrowed his eyes at Edward. "Maybe," he retorted. "Can't guarantee anything though."

"But what good is that if we can't pick out a viable line-up of suspects?" I asked, turning to Edward. "We don't have time to drag Jacob along on a Nayeh hunt without knowing who we're looking for. Jasper could very well be dead by then."

No one could argue that point. Without a clue as to who the offending Nayeh was or even some kind of distinguishable description, it was impossible to find him within the time constraint.

"Wait," Jacob said with a sudden revelation. He narrowed his eyes in deep concentration, as though searching the deepest recesses of his memories. "He had scars… on his arm. They ran from his wrist to his elbow."

Nash gasped and everyone turned their attention to him next. He wasn't staring at anything in particular, but his eyes widened on his ashen face. "Were they three parallel streaks? They look like fresh wounds?"

"Yeah…. How did you -"

"It's him - "

"Care to elaborate?" Emmett inquired sarcastically from behind.

"J.C. Begay."

The very name produced an unpleasant feeling in the pit of my stomach. "How do you know it's J.C.?" I quickly asked Nash out of curiosity.

"I put those scars on that boy," he said through gritted teeth. It was almost a furious growl that matched his clenched fists. "I was in wolf form at the time. He'd attacked a man so I jumped in to try to save him, but it was too late. J.C. was in wolf form too and he'd cut into the man's neck too deeply. So I opted to take him down instead and slashed at his forearm.

When he realized that I was four times his size, he took off. Those scars on his arms will never heal and will always look fresh. They're the marks left by my kind upon those few who survive our attacks."

Nash gave a meaningful glance at Jacob before turning to Carlisle. "You're looking for J.C. Begay. I'm sure of it."

I never thought I'd ever hear about J.C. again.

J.C. Begay was the son of a neighbor when we were still living on the reservation, before we moved to Phoenix when I turned four years old. J.C. – short for Jodel Copon – was eleven years older than me, and was considered the town trouble-maker. At thirteen, he'd formed his own gang comprised of boys much older than himself. Yet strangely, they all followed his orders. It really was not much of a surprise when I heard rumors that he'd become a Skinwalker. No one had seen him since those rumors circulated the rez.

I, for one, was thankful. From time to time, when I'd gone back to the rez to visit relatives, J.C. became obsessed with befriending me for some reason. I'd wanted nothing to do with him, of course, but he was relentless. There were times when he camped outside dad's cousin's house where I often stayed. Dad finally gave it to J.C., telling him that if he didn't leave me alone – especially since I had just turned thirteen – he was going to call the Navajo Police to have him arrested.

Not long after that, the rumors started spreading – that J.C. had gone to become a Skinwalker. Dad's cousin feared that dad had provoked J.C. but he didn't believe in the rumors. Neither had I, until I saw J.C. last year when Nash and I were tracking down a female Skinwalker suspected of murdering a medicine man in his sleep. As it turned out, she was J.C.'s mate, but you wouldn't have guessed it by his calm demeanor when we executed her. It was as though the loss of his mate had no effect on him at all.

"Let's find this J.C. then!" Emmett's booming voice pulled me back to the present. "At least now we know who we're looking for."

"But what does he even look like?" Bella asked from behind Edward. "It would be easier if we all split up to search -"

"_We_?" Edward said sharply as he turned to Bella. "No, Bella. You're staying here with your father."

Bella instinctively crossed her arms and narrowed her chocolate brown eyes at her fiancé. "I've always been somehow useful in your missions in the past. I can still be useful!"

"Useful in missions?!" I snapped, unable to stop myself as I glared at Edward. "You took Bella on monster missions?! She's a regular _human_!"

"It wasn't his fault Kayls!" Bella defended him. "I insisted on it!"

Of course.

"Bella, darling." Edward took her hand gently and kissed her wrist. I couldn't help but shudder even though I knew Edward wouldn't hurt her. "Please. Not this time. I promise I will return to you, but I need to know that you're going to keep out of harm's way."

"I'm a danger magnet, remember? Harm finds me."

A tiny smile crept up on Edward's perfect visage. "You have a point. But I still need you to stay here in Forks with your father. Darling, I'm begging you. Do it for me?"

This whole scene was so overwhelmingly sweet that I was beginning to feel a bit queasy. It was like I was OD-ing on a triple-chocolate fudge sundae. But Bella seemed to savor it, and that thought made it tolerable. But… what about Jacob?

I turned to him, even though I was afraid to find a pained look on his face seeing the girl he loved in the arms of another. My heart skipped a beat when I realized Jacob wasn't even looking at them. His dark eyes bore straight into my green ones, and I had to look away quickly so as not to reveal… reveal what? I didn't know quite how to process the effect that Jacob Black was having on me. He hated me, didn't he? Yet his eyes were so gentle…. No, it was definitely my imagination. He likely had meant it for Bella, I convinced myself as I glanced over my shoulder and saw my best friend taking Edward's hand.

"Fine," I heard Bella finally say. "Just let me do one thing to help."

Edward arched his eyebrow warily. "What is it?"

"Let me first take Kayla and Nash to Eric Yorkie. He's actually quite a talented artist. Maybe he can do a sketch of J.C. if Nash and Kayla describe him."

"That's not a bad idea. We'll have to do it right now though," said Nash as he turned to Carlisle. "Meanwhile, you need to get home and take care of Jasper. You might want to keep at least two people guarding him just in case – preferably at least one male."

"Aww heck no!" Emmett protested when all eyes landed on him. "I'm not going to miss all the action to babysit Jas! Besides, you're gonna need fighters on this mission!"

He had a point. Facing over a hundred Nayeh meant that we couldn't spare anyone who could actually fight. Even with all the Slayers, vampires, and Quileute wolves fighting, there was still an uncomfortably sizable chance we wouldn't come out of this unscathed. Hopefully, we wouldn't have to face all of them at once.

"I'll send Seth, Colin, and Brady to help guard Jasper," Jacob offered. Instantaneously, four pairs of shocked, topaz eyes turned to him. "They're still too young for combat anyway. I'm sure that three of them plus maybe that tiny fortuneteller can stand guard safely."

"Fortuneteller?" Nash leaned towards me in question.

"Alice Cullen. She can see future events."

"Well darn, that could actually be useful to us on this mission," Nash said both in surprise and disgust. He didn't like the idea of a vampire having extra powers any more than the rest of the Slayers did.

"Esme can stay and we'll bring Alice," Carlisle offered as he signaled to Emmett and Rosalie to head on home. "Jacob, thank you for helping us save Jasper."

"I'm not doing this for you," Jacob snarled, exasperated. "The Nayeh are a threat to our people. We just want them out of here."

"I thank you nevertheless," Carlisle smiled.

Jacob merely rolled his eyes and turned away. "I'll go get the boys and send them over then. They'll stand guard outside your house."

After everyone decided on reassembling at the Cullen residence in two hours, Jacob turned away to take off in the direction of his reservation when Bella called out to him. "Jake! Wait! Please, we need to talk. I know we don't have much time but we have to - "

"I'll come back here within an hour before heading out to the Cullens," Jacob interrupted calmly, his back to her. He glanced over his broad shoulder and smiled at her. "We'll talk. You don't mind, do you?" He added as he shifted his eyes onto Edward.

"No, not at all. That would be good for Bella to know."

"Of course, _you'd_ like her to know," Jacob sneered.

"Know what?" Bella and I chorused inadvertently. I slapped a hand over my mouth and turned the other way. It really was none of my business. But Edward's mind-reading abilities coupled with his knowing, insinuative comments were really getting to me.

"We'll talk before I take the pack to the Cullens'," Jacob noted before he took off swiftly, leaving behind only a trail of dust. Carlisle and Edward left to go back home while Bella took Nash and me to her friend's place.


End file.
